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i 


THE    SCOTTISH 
GALLQVIDIAN    ENCYCLOPEDIA. 


O  L  \  B  o  o  w  : 
l^rlntrd   xt    the   anUriTBity    Vtree, 

BV  MACLIHMB  AND  MACDOPQALh. 


THE     SCOTTISH 


GALLOVIDIAN    ENCYCLOPEDIA. 


BY 


JOHN    MACTAOGART. 


.S/-;(V)AV)     FP/J'/O.V. 


■> 


-' 


LONDON  :   HAMILTON,  ADAAtS-,AND  Cy. 

•  -      ^«  ^ 

GLASGOW:   THOMAS  D.'-MCjRIjSaN.'';' 

1876.         •-'-• 


19/7  J 


Imprcssiou,   Two  Hundred  and  Fifty  Copies. 


'.'•. 


:;••' 


•f"       '•»        • 
•  •        ••«  • 


•  •  •  •  0 

•  •• 

# 


•  ^    z  * «    •  • 

V   •  •• 

•   •  •  •  •  * 

'  -  -,       • 


•••.•* 


THE 


SCOTTISH 


©allobiiimn  Sncgdopeiim, 


OR, 


1  HK  ORIGINAL,  ANTIQUATED,  AND  NATURAL 

CURIOSITIES 


OF  THE 

SOUTH    OF  SCOTLAND; 

coNTAiNim; 

SKETCHES    OF    ECCENTRIC    CHARACTERS    AND    CURIOUS    PLACES,    WITH 

EXPLANATIONS    OF    SINGULAR    WORDS,    TERMS,    AND    PHRASES; 

INTERSPERSED  WITH   POEMS,  TALES,  ANECDOTES,  ETC., 

AND    VARIOUS    OTHER    STRANGE    MATIERS  ; 

THK    WHOLE 

ILLUSTRATIVE  OF  THE  WAYS  OF  THE  PEASANTRY,  AND  MANNERS  OF 

CALEDONIA  ; 

OR  A  WN  OUT  AND  ALPHA  BETJCALL  Y  ARRANGED, 


By   JOHN    MACTAGGART. 


"MAY    ne'er    WAUR    1!E   AMANG    TS." 

Tinkler  s  Totut. 


LONDON: 

PRINTED   FOR   THE   AUTHOR,    AND 

SOLD  BY  MORRISON,   FENCHURCH  STREET  ;   STEUART  AND  PANTON, 
CHEAPSIDE;      A.      CONSTABLE     AND     CO.,      EDINBURGH; 
WARDLAW    AND    CUNNINGHAM,     GLASGOW; 
J.  SINCLAIR,  DUMFRIES  ;  J.  NICHOL- 
SON, KIRKCUDBRIGHT;  AND 
J.    DICK,    AYR. 

1824. 


TO 
ALL   HONEST   AND   WARM-HEARTED 

GALLOVIDIANS, 

THIS  WORK  IS  DEDICA  TED 

BY 
THKlk    AFFKCTIONATK    FRIEND,    AND 

HUMBLK    COUNTRYMAN, 


THE   AUTHOR. 


INTRODUCTION. 


A  S  it  has  been  fashionable  with  authors  now  a  long  time,  to 
place  before  their  books  things  called  Introductions,  I 
dare  say  then  (to  be  something  like  those  strange  fellows  in 
whose  corps  I  am  enlisted),  one  must  appear  before  mine, 
though  methinks  they  are  not  of  much  use  on  the  whole,  but 
resemble,  in  general,  a  methodist  dranting  grace  before  dinner. 

O  !  that  I  could  make  mine  seem  like  a  lovely  country  lass, 
with  fair  yellow  hair,  red  cheeks,  and  bosom  divinely  moulded  ; 
just  like  her  who  conducts  strangers  down  a  worthy  farmer's 
trance^  to  where,  in  rural  divan,  are  assembled  a  heavenly 
family. 

But  doubtful  am  I  that  it  will  turn  out  to  be  more  like  a 
" rouch  curr  tyke"  seated  in  a  comfortable  manner  on  some 
foggy  tomacky  on  his  " ain  twa  tashellie  hurdiesy^  introducing, 
with  many  bouchs  and  boW'icmvs^  a  straggling  club  of  ill-tongued 
tinklerSy  with  their  cuddies^  their  hampers^  and  their  ram-Jwrns^ 
to  a  wild  clauchafiy  situated  in  the  "  loop  "  of  some  wild  moor- 
land glen. 

Be  these  things  as  they  may,  however,  either  as  fancied,  or, 
like  the  great  English  Lexicographer's  **  1  wo-and-forty  pounder 
before  the  door  of  a  swine-stye,"  I  shall  proceed  as  quietly  as 
possible,  though,  most  likely,  in  a  rambling  manner. 

How,  and  when  the  notion  of  this  production  first  struck  my 
foolish  brain,  I  am  at  a  loss  to  say  ;  I  am  inclined  to  imagine 
that  it  is  mostly  the  work  of  instinct ;  that  the  conception  of 


X  INTRUDUCnoN. 

it  was  created  in  my  scull,  when  that  thick  skull  itself  was 
created,  and  afterwards  expanded  as  it  expanded ;  for,  from  my 
youngest  days  I  have  been  a  wanderer  amid  the  wilds  of  na- 
ture, and  keenly  fond  of  every  curious  thing  belonging  to  my 
native  country  ;  while  Providence  has  surely  been  very  kind  to 
me  in  this  respect,  for  casting  my  lot  in  a  nation  among  a 
rare  and  singular  class  of  mankind. 

There  is  nothing  I  am  prouder  of  than  that  I  am  a  Scotch- 
man, and,  I  may  add,  a  Scotch  Peasant  too;  for  where  on 
all  the  earth  is  there  a  country  that  can  be  compared  to 
Scotland,  in  every  noble  thing  that  elevates  a  nation?  and 
where  is  there  a  class  of  human  beings  to  be  found  like  her 
peasantry?  they  are  not  only  an  honour  to  the  land  they 
live  in,  but  a  credit  to  the  whole  world,  though  I,  for  one,  add 
little  to  their  glory. 

The  songs  which  have  been  produced  by  them,  charm  some 
of  the  inhabitants  of  every  zone.  Italian  ditties,  formed  by  the 
most  tuneful  bards  of  that  country,  are  but  like  the  "  Cheeps  o 
the  Stro^vmouse^^  to  the  mellow  notes  of  the  "  Alavis^'  when 
compared  to  them ;  and  when  the  lays  of  the  land,  like  a 
**  boot^^  sink  so  far  beneath  those  of  the  glens  of  the  north, 
those  of  no  other  department  of  the  globe  dare  be  sung  in  com- 
petition with  them. 

But  the  divine  art  of  a  Bums,  or  an  Ettrick  Shepherd,  is  not 
by  any  means  the  only  thing  which  upraises,  or  has  upraised, 
the  "  kintra-folks  d  Auld  Scotland^''  they  have  it  in  their  power 
to  brag  of  producing  learned  men  and  philosophers  ;  they  have 
turned  out  Kuclids  and  Socrates' s.  Mungo  Park,  too,  the  cele- 
brated traveller,  was  a  peasant ;  but,  above  all,  they  have  the 
patriot  Wullie  Wallace^  whom  none  but  a  Switzerland  Tell  can 
be  put  on  the  weigh-beam  with  \  and,  what  is  all  this  to  their 
warm  honest  hearts,  their  tender  feelings,  their  simple  manners, 
and  their  strong  independent  minds?  He  would  be  a  writer  of 
pith,  indeed,  who  could  praise  them  too  much,  and  one  of 
matchless  impudence  who  could  revile  them  ;  they  are,  though, 
in  need  of  neither,  for  they  exist  before  the  eyes  of  the  world, 
and  speak  for  themselves. 

Yet   for    all,   till   of  late,  the  Scotch  peasantry  have  been 


INTRODUCTION.  XI 

allowed  to  remain  on  their  dear  rural  mountains  and  dales, 
without  being  ever  looked  at  almost  by  travellers,  or  said  a 
word  about  by  historians.  It  was  not  until  they  themselves 
found  out  the  way  of  noting  upon  paper,  that  anything  re- 
specting them  has  come  to  light ;  and  their  great  modesty  hath 
not  allowed  them  even  yet  to  say  very  much. 

We  have  voUuncs  on  volumes,  as  many  as  would  fill  a  score 
of  whurl-barnni's^  all  wrote  resi)ecting  our  Kings,  Queens,  and 
*'  ither  Ugfowk"  yet  hardly  a  word  said  about  the  ^'people  ;  " 
nor  is  this  neglect  to  be  wondered  at,  when  we  consider  what 
noise  and  stir  these  nobles  made  in  the  days  of  yore ;  no  poor 
penman  chap  durst  think  or  speak  of  any  other  creatures  but 
them,  when  guns  are  a  "  crackin  aff  at  our  lugs,"  and  dirks  a 
driving  into  **  briskets  "  to  the  ///// ;  few  are  so  bold  as  be  so 
composed  as  to  tell  old  tales  or  sing  a  bufich  "  o^  hamely 
balladsr 

So  then,  our  works  in  the  vernacular  language  of  the  olden 
time  are  but  scanty ;  and  suppose  there  had  been  more,  suppose 
there  had  been  yet  extant  the  poems  of  fifty  bards  as  old  as 
**  Tom  the  Rhymer,  or  Barbour,^'  still  I  am  inclined  to  think  that 
the  lingo  of  those  distant  days,  as  spoken  by  the  peasantry, 
could  not  be  hunted  out ;  the  natives  mostly  of  every  nation, 
have  generally  at  least  two  tongues  they  work  with,  the  rustic 
and  the  polite,  the  one  spoken  by  the  grandees,  the  other  by 
the  commonalty  ;  now,  methinks,  our  old  bards  have  all  written 
in  the  former,  for  it  is  the  same  language  with  ancient  English 
and  German,  in  which  we  find  their  books  wrote,  and  this  was 
the  court  language  of  their  day  :  for  my  own  part,  I  doubt  th^re 
has  never  been  a  genuine  rustic  MS.  of  an  ancient  date  come 
before  the  world. 

But  true  it  is,  there  is  no  race  of  men  stands  less  in  need  of 
historians  to  record  their  deeds  and  draw  their  manners  than 
these  I  have  been  talking  of ;  for,  as  they  abide  so  close  by  the 
laws  of  nature,  their  variations  are  few,  their  artless  simplicity 
admits  of  little  change  to  take  i)lace,  though  learning  may  be  a 
boggle  for  frighting  away  some  of  their  freets  and  superstitious 
obscrviuiccs,  yet  these  they  do  not  in  a  hurry  forget  for  all ;  for 
though  some  of  them  now  may  fail,  for  instance,  to  hold  **  auld 


XII  INrRODUCTION. 

hallmoeen^'  still  thc7  know  well  how  it  was  wont  to  be  held,  and 
the  same  with  every  other  concern  of  the  time  gone  by.  There 
are  still  many  who  see  fames  yet,  and  believe  in  the  tale  of 
warlocks^  ghaists^  wraiths^  and  7intc/ics,  and  while  there  are 
such  persons,  and  such  there  always  will  be  in  Scotland, 
nothing  of  ancient  fun  and  fancy  has  a  chance  to  be  lost.  And 
so  long  as  old  people  delight  to  talk  about  themselves,  and 
young  ones  listen,  and  so  long  as  such  goodly  things  as 
farenichts  are  kept  up,  it  is  likely  that  the  most  of  what  resj^cts 
the  "  kintrafawk  "  will  be  known,  when  time  is  a  very  "  /yarf- 
headed  auld  carU'^ 

So  I  scamper  along  rather  in  the  "  ram  stam  "  manner,  and 
a  beautiful  introduction  is  doubtless  a  composing;  fearless 
quite  of  criticism  am  I,  and  by  no  means  sharkish  inclined  for 
fame ;  this  work,  intended  from  the  beginning  a  present  to  my 
native  country,  makes  me  no  way  afraid  that  it  shall  soon 
perish ;  it  will  be  found  in  many  a  rustic  library  of  the  south 
of  Scotland,  scores  of  years  after  I  am  in  the  grave ;  it  will  be 
a  book  that  will  never  create  much  noise,  yet  still  it  will  not  be 
in  a  hurry  forgot ;  in  that  same  "  bole  "  with  the  "  warks  "  of 
Allan  Cunninghamj  Burns,  Nicholson,  Peden^s  Prophecies,  and 
Riitherford^s  Letters,  will  it  take  its  place.  And  though  some, 
in  looking  it  over,  may  laugh  and  wonder  how  any  body  of 
common  sense  would  take  time  up  writing  and  printing  such 
j/7/v-looking  matters,  still  the  more  they  consider  the  affair  the  less 
they  will  be  inclined  to  wonder,  and  at  last  feel  rather  disposed 
to  come  over  to  my  side  of  the  (question ;  for  1  have  heard  a 
good  Scotch  tale  laughed  at  by  Scotchmen,  and  rather  ridiculed 
at  the  first  and  second  reading,  and  an  English  poem  praised  at 
first  glance  to  the  skies,  which,  in  a  little  time,  changed  hues 
like  the  chamclion,  changed  so  that  the  darling  poem  was  not 
spoke  about  at  all,  whereas  the  other  was  read  and  better  read, 
until  a  lasting  edition  became  printed  on  the  heart. 

Perhaps  it  may  be  thought  that  I  am  sporting  myself  at  pre- 
sent at  vanity  fair,  but  I  beg  to  say  that  I  am  (juite  serious  ; 
I  am  prophecying  what  exj)erience  tells  me  will  come  to  pass, 
for  little  of  this  faulty  book  of  mine  was  composed  in  the  closet, 
in  the  musty  library  of  cobwebs  \  no,  it  was  gathered  by  my 


INTRODUCTION.  Xlll 

own  eyes  and  cars,  concocted  in  my  own  slender  intellect  while 
at  my  rural  employment,  and  >\Tote  down  on  scraps  of  paper  as 
I  found  it  convenient,  in  the  midst  of  the  works  of  nature,  in 
the  open  air,  beneath  the  flaring  sun,  in  a  quarry  hole  perhaps. 
Sometimes  again  on  a  " braesidcy''  and  ablins  whiles  in  a  " thick 
iimdy'  or  on  the  back  of  a  '' grey-stanc ;''  the  whole,  therefore, 
has  the  smell,  as  it  were,  of  Nature ;  her  rudeness  is  about  it, 
and  when  her  plaid  keeps  the  shoulders  of  anything  warm, 
that  thing  looks  contented  indeed. 

No  Adi^ocaU^  library  has  been  flung  open  to  me — no  Aiich- 
enleck  MS.  has  been  given  to  favor  my  researches — the  whole 
is  the  doing  of  habit  and  memory — never  having  the  oppor- 
tunity to  receive  regular  education — my  learning  has  been  all 
got  by  snatches — and  good  hints  have  been  of  service  to  me. 
And  this  I  regret  the  less,  for  had  I  been  a  mighty  scholar, 
books  would  have  filled  my  brain ;  I  could  have  discovered 
few  Nootka  Sounds,  or  places  and  things  out  of  the  common 
navigator's  tract;  and  more  so,  there  was  little  need  that  I 
should  be  deep  read  in  the  Earse,  the  ancient  Scandinavian, 
and  Norse  languages,  in  order  that  I  might  hit  the  roots  of  the 
strange  words  I  bring  forward ;  (as  the  worthy  Dr.  Jamieson  has 
bravely  done,  with  the  Scotch  words  found  in  books ;)  for  if  he 
pleases,  he  may  give,  if  he  can,  the  derivations  of  my  words, 
caught  as  flying  from  the  Peasant's  mouth. 

He  may  rummage  the  archives  of  yore  to  satisfy  the  throb- 
bing heart  of  the  inquirer.  I  will  take  the  world  as  it  stands, 
and  see  what  I  can  find  to  please  myself  and  other  rustics ; — 
some  of  the  Doctor's  words  I  have  also  put  down  to  make 
mine  more  complete,  and  it  will  be  found  I  am  obliged  to 
differ  from  him  whiles  with  respect  to  their  meanings.  It  is  not 
one  man  nor  ten  that  can  compose  a  national  dictionary;  it 
takes  much  time,  and  many  writers,  to  produce  a  standard,  and 
it  will  also  be  found,  it  is  to  be  hoped,  that  I  copy  nothing  from 
him,  nor  any  other. 

I  have  none  to  thank  for  lending  me  a  hand  to  perform  the 
job — indeed,  I  asked  none  ;  the  whole  was  composed  without 
any  knowing  but  myself  that  such  a  concern  was  on  the 
"  jAv^j,"  by  keeping  the  thing  dark  I  came  on  better:  for  none 


XIV  INTRODUCTION. 

were  afraid  to  talk  with  me  on  old  matters,  because  thev  did 
not  suspect  I  was  "Az/Cv//  notes;''  had  they  thought  that  the 
"  aiM  wives  "  and  manv  others  would  have  trembled  for  me, 
and  keep*d  their  mouths  sealed.  As  it  was,  it  required  me  to 
use  some  craft  in  order  to  get  at  information  I  wanted ;  by  put- 
ting questions  direct  nothing  is  obtained,  but  to  talk  in  a  care- 
less manner  about  the  subjects  wanted,  as  if  it  was  little  matter 
about  them,  then  everything  comes  bolting  out. 

From  those  characters  most  famous  for  originality  of  mind, 
I  received  the  things  of  greatest  value ;  these  are  all  mostly 
patriotic  Gallovidians,  and  scorn  to  lose  any  of  that  darling 
legacy  left  them  by  their  forefathers ;  they  scorn  to  lisp  English, 
but  tell  their  honest  tales  in  plain  "  Braid  Scotch^ 

For  there  are  many  classes  of  peasantry  in  Scotland,  they  are 
by  no  means  all  "  tarred  wi'  the  same  stick^'  as  the  sa}nng  is. 
Their  various  situations  and  various  tempers  help  to  make  the 
difference.  Those  of  the  Lmuthian  and  Benvickshires^  for 
instance,  are  quite  different  from  those  of  Yarr<yiodale  and 
Galawater^  and  just  because  the  one  is  a  level,  fertile,  plough- 
able  tract,  and  the  other  a  pastural  land,  of  hills,  of  glens,  and 
wild  mountains.  The  natives  of  these  latter  pleasant  places 
have  their  minds  more  poetically  tinged  than  the  former,  being 
much  more  among  the  works  of  nature ;  and  then,  being  in 
general  shepherds,  they  have  leisure  to  behold  and  admire  her 
in  every  form,  while  the  others  are  confined  to  the  arts  of  agri- 
culture, and  are  obliged  to  grovel  in  the  earth  without  almost 
having  time  to  look  up  at  the  sun  even  for  a  moment.  In  ever>' 
way  do  peasants  so  differently  situated  differ  from  each  other  ; 
and  in  nothing  more  than  their  language.  The  dung-cart  hind 
has  a  stinking  slang  which  he  gilds  his  turnip  ideas  with,  where- 
as the  other  plaids  his  rare  fancy  in  pure  and  simple  words, 
which  are  at  once  pleasingly  melancholy  and  beautiful. 

Neither  of  these  ranks  of  peasants  though,  whom  I  have 
been  talking  about,  are  the  same  with  those  of  the  South  of 
Scotland ;  they  occupy  a  place  somewhere  between  them,  and 
partake  a  little  of  what  belongs  to  both.  They  are  not  exactly 
of  the  mountain  nor  of  the  plain,  but  of  the  hills,  the  hollows, 
the  woods,  and  the  waters  between  ;  their  imaginations  wallow 


INTRODUCTION.  W 

not  in  putrid  sludge,  neither  do  they  live  with  phantoms  beyond 
the  moon,  and  spirits  of  the  blast ;  but  with  matters  of  a  manly 
and  strong  substantiality. 

When  tracing  the  nature  of  their  language,  it  is  soon  seen 
that  they  are  rather  of  a  Celtic  and  Saxon  origin ;  the  three 
letters  "^//,"  which  terminate  many  of  their  words,  strike  one 
at  once,  that  old  Gaul  has  been  amongst  them  with  a  witness  ; 
and  the  various  terms  which  have  their  roots  in  the  Saxon  and 
Teutonic,  bespeak  the  Scandinavians  having,  too,  "  a  finger  in 
the  pie."  However,  I  doubt  not  but  my  natives  of  the  South 
use  many  strange  words,  which  neither  Celt  nor  Saxon  ever 
mouthed — but  tribes  of  more  remote  antiquity  than  any  of 
them.  WTio  knows  but  old  "  Daddie  Druid,''  who  dipped  so 
deeply  into  the  works  of  nature,  might  have  let  a  few  of  his 
rare  secrets  escape  his  temple  aneath  the  gnarVd  oak  tree,  for 
there  are  few  races  of  beings  on  the  earth  a  match  for  them  at 
mimicating  the  sounds  into  words,  which  Nature  herself  is 
heard  to  utter ;  not  a  sound  she  emits  by  any  of  her  works,  but 
they  follow  her  to  an  astonishing  closeness ;  and  so  a  good  part 
of  their  tongue  is  of  an  universal  stamp,  and  might  be  under- 
stood by  the  inhabitants  of  almost  every  country. 

Thus  the  word  ^^ guidering,''  which  we  use  to  express  the 
sound  a  turkey  cock  emits  when  in  wrath,  with  his  tail  "  ///- 
/an'd'' and  ^^  fiiM/e  red"  \s  much  like  ^'' gl(nvgl(nvter^'  used  for 
the  same  purpose  by  the  French  and  Germans. 

But  I  must  be  thinking  of  coming  to  a  conclusion,  and  the 
sooner  I  susoect  that  happens,  the  more  I  shall  look  like  a  wise 
man. 

If  any  consider  themselves  hurt  by  the  mention  I  may  have 
made  of  them  in  the  course  of  the  work,  their  pardon  1  ask, 
for  I  am  by  no  means  of  a  surly  temper ;  and  though  I  some- 
times bite  my  own  tongue  between  my  teeth,  it  is  because  I  am 
not  aware  that  it  is  in  a  place  liable  to  be  bitten ;  so  if  I  have 
injured  any  one,  it  is  because  I  was  not  aware  of  that  either. 

Those  whom  I  have  drawn  as  originals,  as  surely  they  are, 
will  not  rail  against  me,  for  originals  care  not  what  is  said  by 
any  one  respecting  them ;  and  as  for  the  errors  of  the  work, 
and  many  there  are  in  it,  let  them  rest  on  my  own  broad  hack. 


XVI  INTRODUCTION. 

Works  of  this  kind  are  always  fuller  of  errors  than  any  others ; 
also,  should  any  be  displeased  because  I  have  not  taken  notice 
of  some  curiosity  which  was  a  favourite  of  theirs,  be  it  told, 
that  I  was  either  not  of  their  way  of  thinking,  or  that  I  knew 
nothing  about  it. 

If  the  concern  ever  comes  to  a  second  edition^  a  thing  not  to 
be  expected,  in  this  century  at  least,  it  may  be  made  more  com- 
plete by  the  mention  of  what  has  escaped  notice — till  then,  it 
may  remain  as  it  is ;  and  if  I  could  hear  the  genuine  opinion 
of  one  honest  warm-hearted  rough  countryman^  and  that  opinion 
favourable,  then  I  would  be  beyond  the  grasp  of  the  fangs  of 
all  the  critics  in  the  world — for  his  judgment  is  dictated  by 
Nature,  and  when  she  is  pleased,  all  is  well. 

I  am  pretty  sure  already,  that  there  are  some  "  kintra-fcmtk  " 
it  will  not  anger  very  much,  and  that  they  will  let  me  share 
^^pot-iuck "  with  them,  when  I  take  my  fishing  rambles  away  by 
the  wild  moorland  " burns'' 

Perhaps  some  may  think  I  deal  too  much  in  poetry  ;  I  must 
tell  those,  that  it  is  not  to  shew  that  I  know  a  trifle  about  the 
art — for  a  ''^trifle''  I  only  know,  being  no  poet.  But  I  am 
fonder  always  of  something  wild  and  out-of-the-way,  than  if  it 
were  humble  and  tame ;  that  is  to  say,  I  admire  the  manners 
of  the  "  Foumart''  before  those  of  "  Bawdrons ;"  and  a  "  Brock" 
more  than  a  *^^  Lap-dog,"  So,  God  bless  my  friends,  and 
Heaven  ever  smile  on  the  natives  of  the  South  of  Scotland ;  for 
a  better  race  of  beings  is  no  where  to  be  found  between  the 
sea  and  the  sun. 


TORRS, 

I'cbruary  I?///,    1S2V 


THE 

GALLO VIDIAN    ENCYCLOPEDIA, 

&c.    &c. 


A. 

l\  — All.  But  the  natives  of  Galloway,  and  their  neigh- 
bours of  the  South,  take  a  larger  mouthfti  of  it  than  the 
other  people  of  Scotland ;  that  is  to  say,  they  pronounce 
it  broader,  and  can  be  known  to  belong  to  that  district 
of  the  Lan  d'  Cakes  by  this  little  circumstance. 

Abee — Alone.  Let  me  abee^  or  let  me  bee;  means,  let  me 
alone ;  these  phrases  are  much  used  by  children,  and 
wanton  maidens;  the  latter  of  whom  desire  their  Lads 
often  to  let  them  abee — When  the  truth  is,  they  would 
take  it  very  ill  were  they  obeyed. 

Abeigh — Aloof,  shy,  &c.  She  keefd  hersell  abeigh ; 
means,  she  fought  shy,  that  her  affections  were  not  easy 
to  gain. 

Ablins — Perhaps,  likely,  may  be,  &c.  Sometimes  a  word 
pronounced  able,  is  used  in  its  stead. 

Abok  or  Yabok.  A  name  for  a  gabbing,  impudent,  chatting 
child. 

Aboon — Above.     The  Lift  Abootu     The  Firmament  above. 

Aboon-broe — Above  water.  It  is  said  of  those  who  can 
hardly  keep  themselves  from  sinking  in  the  horrific  pool  of 
misery,  that    they  can   barely  keep  themselves  aboon-broe: 


2  ABO ABO 

broe,  in  this  and  all  other  cases,  meaning,  a  tap  liquid  of 
some  kind  or  other. 

About  the  Buss — About  the  bush.  A  very  old  phrase, 
signifying,  not  downright,  the  way  of  a  mean  sculking 
coward.  Thus  we  say  of  an  honest  man,  that  he  never 
goes  about  the  buss;  he  never  attempts  to  cheat,  has  no 
doublings  to  defraud ;  he  makes  nae  iang  wund  stories^  and 
whaups  {the  rape.  No,  no ;  he  drives  right  forward,  through 
bush  and  brier. 

In  that  good  old  Poem,  the  Cherrie  and  the  Siae,  writ- 
ten by  Captain  Alexander  Montgomery,  about  1590,  and 
printed  by  Bob  Walgrave,  some  seven  years  after,  we  meet 
with  this  phrase  respecting  the  Buss  very  frequently ;  as  in 
the  46th  verse,  when  branding  dread,  danger,  and  despair, 
as  cowards  : 

"  They  are  mair  faschions,  nor  of  Feck, 
**  Zon  fazards  durst  not  for  their  neck, 
**  Clim'  up  the  craig  to  us. 

**  Frae  we  determined  to  dee, 

**  Or  else  to  clim  Zon  Cherrie  Tree, 

"  They  bade— About  the  Buss."— &c. 

And  in  the  77th  verse  of  the  same  Poem,  it  is  said  of 
Experience, 

**  For  Authors  quha  alleges  us, 
**  They  wad  na  gae  about  the  buss, 

**  To  foster  deidly  feid,  &c." 

In  no  other  author  of  the  Captain's  day,  nor  in  any  I 
have  seen  before  him,  is  this  phrase  to  be  met  with;  and 
as  it  is  heard  used  at  the  present  day  ten  times  in  Gal- 
loway, for  once  in  any  other  part  of  Scotland,  it  may  help 
to  prove,  that  Montgomery  was  either  a  native  of  the 
country,  or  well  acquainted  with  its  language.  It  is  said 
he  was  bom  in  Germany,  but  that  the  greater  part  of  his 
life  he  passed  in  Scotland,  but  where  in  Scotland,  has 
been  a  question;  various  towns  and  counties  claim  him. 
Tradition  says  he  lived  at  Cummingstown,  on  the  banks 


ABR  ACK  3 

of  the  Tarf — Galloway — now  known  by  the  name  of  Cumms- 
town ;  this  seems  very  probable,  for  many  reasons,  but 
particularly  from  passages  in  his  Poem,  actually  pointing 
out  the  natural  scenery  of  this  seat  of  the  Gumming.  In 
truth,  his  muse  seems  often  to  have  heard  the  roarin  sough 
of  the  DocLchs  o^  Tongueland  Water, 

Abreed — Abroad.  Scatter  it  abreed  to  the  four  louns  means 
scatter  it  abroad,  to  the  mercy  of  the  winds. 

AcKAViTV,  AcKWAViTY,  or  AcKWA. — The  chief  of  all  spirituous 
liquors,  viz..  Whisky,  when  taken  to  excess,  does  not  even 
make  such  a  wreck  of  the  human  constitution  as  others  do, 
such  as  rum  and  brandy,  and  when  taken  in  moderation,  as 
it  should  be,  there  is  none  other  half  so  good.  Far  be  it 
from  me  to  hold  up  any  thing  that  may  be  thought  allied 
to  vice;  and  if  whisky  be  so,  as  many  grave  men  think,  I 
have  little  cause  to  eulogize  it,  being  no  great  bottle  man : 
nature  having  given  me  a  frame  of  body  that  is  a  sworn  foe 
to  any  fluid  stronger  than  Adam^s  Wifie,  However,  as  the 
majority  of  men  are  moulded  different,  I  will  say,  that  a 
dram  d  gude  ackwa  and  caulier-water,  refreshes  a  fainting 
heart,  in  a  sultry  simmer  day ;  and  the  same  quantity  o' 
Farintosh,  is  quite  comfortable  to  take  in  a  cauld  wunter 
morning,  while  even  a  Tumbler  or  twa  d  Toddy ,  looks  social 
on  an  evening.  So  I  won*t  join  with  M'Neil  and  others,  in 
saying  it  is  the  Scaith  d  Scotlan,  I  am  more  incHned  to  side 
with  Bums  to  a  certain  extent  Scotland  may  be  very 
thankful  that  it  is  her  prevailing  drink;  as  a  drink,  like 
every  other  nation,  she  must  have ;  the  English  have  their 
drowzy  brown  stout,  the  Turks  their  opium,  the  South  Sea 
Islanders  their  kava ;  but  what  brings  on  a  quicker,  or  a 
happier  intoxication,  than  the  pure  Mountain  dew  1  how  it 
exhilarates  the  soul,  how  it  exposes  the  sons  of  men,  and 
shows  them  in  their  true  colours,  be  they  good,  bad,  witty, 
or  how ;  it  tries  their  strength,  as  itself  is  tried  by  specific 


4  ACK  ADD 

gravity ;  letting  it  be  known,  the  beads  they  sink  or  swim. 
The  old  song  is  at  this  of  it : 

**  A  man  whan  he's  sober  is  deils  ill  to  ken, 
"  Gude  sooks  than  there's  nae  kenning  o'  him, 

**  But  prime  him  wi  nappie  than  ye  may  gae  ben, 
**  And  learn  what  he  is — for  'twill  show  him." 

Many  have  whisky  to  be  a  slow  poison,  which,  perhaps, 
it  may  be,  in  a  certain  degree,  i)articularl7  if  any  way 
adulterated.  A  person  told  the  celebrated  Billy  Marshall 
the  Tinkler^  once,  that  it  was  a  slaw  pizion — "  It  maun 
be  deils  slaw  indeed,  quoth  the  Ciypsey  Chief,  for  I  hae 
tooted  it  OHTe  in  nogginfus  now,  for  mair  than  a  hunner 
year,  and  am  tae  fore  yet  hale  and  fear."  He  died  when 
1 20  years  of  age. 

And  once,  a  Kirkcubrie  carter^  having  brought  some  coals 
to  a  certain  very  abstemious  medical  man,  the  doctor, 
according  to  the  custom  of  the  country,  presented  him 
with  a  dram  d  lohisky  for  by-payment  The  carter  drank  it 
off  in  a  moment,  making  his  7i*cc  finger  tiuirl  above  the 
quickly  emptied  glass,  in  fine  stile ;  when,  quoth  the  Doctor, 
with  some  emphasis — "  That's  a  nail  in  thy  coffin,  Sanders." 
"  May  be  sae  (replied  the  drunkard)  I  wish  it  were  fu  o* 
sic  tackets." 

Adder-beads  —  Beads  made  by  Adders.  Such  beads  are 
common  now  in  museums,  and  other  repositories  of  rarities ; 
they  are  mostly  about  the  size  of  a  hazle-nut,  oval  shaped, 
of  an  amber  hue,  but  full  of  specks  of  other  beautiful  colours 
— The  hole  through  them  is  about  half  an  inch  in  diameter, 
and  large  enough  to  admit  a  child's  little  finger.  That  the 
Adders  make  them,  is  never  doubted,  but  how,  is  as  yet 
never  exactly  known;  the  country  people  say  it  is  gone 
about  this  way.  Seven  old  Adders,  with  manes  on  their 
backs,  have  a  meeting  in  some  snug  heather  bush,  before 
the  sun ;  with  them  is  also  a  long  small  white  one ; 
operations  are  begun  by  the  hairy  reptiles,  putting  forth 


ADD  ADD  5 

from  their  mouths  a  glutinous  matter  of  a  honey  colour.  The 
white  Adder  moulds  this  into  a  certain  shape,  forming  the 
hole  by  creeping  through  it — and  still  as  it  creeps  in-through 
and  out-through  the  matter,  the  old  ones  keep  salivating 
it — so  the  bead  is  constructed,  and  left  to  harden  in  the 
sun. 

But  (add  the  peasantry)  it  is  impossible  to  stand  any 
time,  and  behold  them  thus  at  work  in  their  bead  manu- 
factory— ^as  at  these  times  they  are  full  of  wrath  and  swift- 
ness ;  so  that  if  the  observer  be  seen  by  them,  he  has  little 
chance  to  get  off  alive. 

For  my  own  part,  I  much  doubt  if  this  operation  of  the 
viper  hath  ever  yet  been  beheld  by  human  eyes  ;  the  beads 
are  found  in  the  places  where  the  Adders  abound,  and  no 
where  else ;  they  are  found  too,  in  greater  or  less  quantities, 
according  as  the  serpents  are  for  number;  so  every  thing 
about  them  argues  they  are  a  production  of  the  Adder,  but 
for  what  purpose  they  form  them  none  can  tell ;  the  subject, 
though,  methinks,  might  be  dipped  deeper  into  by  naturalists 
than  it  is.  To  illustrate  it,  however,  a  little  farther,  I  may 
give  the  Poem  of  the 

ADDKR-13EAI). 

Sawncrs  Beiliebank  a  peeling 

Heathery  scraws  upon  the  moor. 
To  riggin  tight  his  simple  shieling 

The  shiel  whilk  did  his  l)aimies  co'er. 

Sol  was  bceking  warm  and  brissling, 

In  a  heather  buss  hears  he 
Fuffing  soun's — and  meikle  fissling, 

Sawners  steps  aside  to  see. 

But — mercy  on  his  auld  grey  beanly, 

Sic  a  sight  he  never  saw  ; 
A  sight  for  whilk  he  was  afeard,  ay, 

While  a  day  on  him  did  daw. 

Adders  rough,  and  gruesome  horrid, 

Casting  on  their  and)er-bead  ; 
A  white  ane,  wattled  and  bored, 

Gluey  tongues  did  slake  and  feed. 


ADD ADD 


Sawners  at  the  knees  did  totter, 

Deil  the  tae  the  man  cud  gang  ; 
Still  he  stood — his  flesh  did  sotter, 

Sure  was  he  they  wad  him  stang. 

Travellers  hae  aften  stated 
That  Indian  bodies,  ow're  the  sea, 

Hae  been  like  Sawners  fascinated, 
Unfit  frae  rattlesnakes  to  flee. 

Ay,  he  shook  and  swat  and  glowred. 

Blinkers  winking  no  ava  ; 
Expecting  just  to  be  devoured. 

But  faith,  his  Flauchter-spade  did  fa'. 

This  broke  the  charm — than  Sawners  held  it, 
Down  the  moor  wi*  speed  he  flew  : 

What  spangs  he  made,  now  quick  he  wheeld  it, 
Thinking  the  adders  did  pursue. 

And  that  they  wampuzd  just  ahin  him. 

Gaining  on  him  every  spang ; 
And  that  they'd  soon  be  darting  in  him 

Mony  a  witterd  poisonous  stang. 

Up  the  fell  his  son  was  climing, 

Wi'  the  nocket  in  his  han' ; 
He  sees  his  father  bounding,  skimming. 

For  what,  he  cudna  understan. 

"  What's  a'  the  hurry,  father,"  cries  he, 
"  See  ye  the  boggle  o'  the  moor?  " 

But  the  parent  never  spies  he. 
Nor  yet  heard  him,  we  are  sure. 

The  boy,  thus  frightened  wi'  his  father, 

Flang  awa  the  mid-day  chack  ; 
And  down  the  brae,  amang  the  heather. 

Followed  him  what  he  could  crack. 

At  last  the  body,  sairly  scared 

Got  within  his  castle  gate ; 
He  dash'd  it  too,  and  had  it  barred. 

Quaking  at  an  unco  rate. 

**Gude  preserve  us,  my  dear  Sawners, 
**  What  in  a'  the  warl  is  wrang  ; " 

(Quo'  the  wife)  than  Stan's  and  won'ers 
Wi'  a  wrinkled  craig  fu'  lang. 

He  took  himscll  a  skilt  o'  water, 

Pech'd  and  drank,  and  pech'd  again  ; 

Than  tell'd  his  family  a'  the  matter, 
How  he  was  sae  nearlv  slain. 


ADD  ADD 


At  length  his  restless  pulse  mair  queem  grew, 

He'd  tae  bed  and  tak  a  nap  ; 
His  kind  Lucky  glad  did  seem  now, 

And  wi'  the  cuiting  him  did  hap. 

Through  the  neighbours  ran  the  story, 
Ilk  ane  trimmled  that  did  hear ; 

Aroun'  the  shielin,  on  the  morrow. 
Shepherds  armed  did  appear. 

Some  had  whups  and  some  had  cudgells, 

A*  had  tykes  wad  M'orry  fast ; 
Some  had  meikle  heather  budjells. 

To  blaze  and  throw  the  de'ils  aghast. 

An  Irish  lad  frae  county  Derry, 
Brag'd  that  he'd  do  this  and  that ; 

By  St.  Patrick,  swore  he  merry, 
**  Adders  will  not  harm  a  Pat." 

Sawners,  laith  to  be  the  leader 

O'  the  daring  armed  squad, 
Paddy  choose  to  be  its  header, 

Let  the  sport  be  good  or  bad. 

Soon  aroun'  the  awfu  centre 

Circled  the  crew  wi'  speed  ; 
Close  beside  it  ane  did  venture, 

And  beheld  the  Adder-bead. 

He  click 'd  it  up,  and  in  his  bosom 

Clap'd  the  bonny  freckled  gem. 
Crying — **  It  will  deck  my  blossom," 

Lovely  flower  o'  sappie  stem. 

Whilk  was  Sawnies'  bonny  daughter, 

Wi'  her  merry  een  sae  gleg ; 
Lang  the  lad  had  wooing  sought  her, 

Nee'r  refused  him  darling  Meg. 

Collies'  thrang  about  were  snuffing 
The  awfu  game  cud  no  be  seen  ; 

At  length,  out  wampuzd  three  loud  fuffing. 
Rough  and  strong  wi'  blazing  ee'n. 

Now  an  unco  kauch  and  hurry 

Mang  the  bravoes  did  begin  ; 
Whups  did  smak  and  Collies'  worry 

Down  the  moor  did  Paddy  rin. 

Was  ere  it  thought  the  son  of  Erin 
Wad  been  the  first  to  turn  and  flee, 

But  na  matter,  without  fearin, 
Gallovidians  stood  the  spree. 


8  ADD  ADD 

And  o*ercam  the  hules  completely. 

Adders  killed  they  nine  or  ten  ; 
Cl'w'ar'd  the  moor  o'  vermin  neatly, 

Fire  made  them  quickly  sten. 

He  wha  found  the  bead  swunged  monniest, 

A  gallant  handsome  younker  he  ; 
His  sweetheart  was  amang  the  bonniest 

Maidens  ever  man  did  see. 

By  a  ribbon  he  suspended 

Roun'  her  bonny  neck  wi'  speed. 
The  what  he  frae  the  serpents  rended. 

The  amber  shining  Adder-bead. 

Soon  the  blythesome  pair  war  marrieil, 

Pretty  damsels  did  they  breed  ; 
And  the  prettiest  always  wcared 

The  hinnie  spreckled  Adder-bead. 

Sae  when  we  meet  in  Gallowa 

A  fair-haird  lass  wi'  cheeks  fu'  red, 
We  say  she's  bonny — ay,  and  braw, 

Weel  wordy  o'  an  Adder-bead. 

God  bless  them  a',  exclaims  the  poet, 

May  they  lack  o'  lads  ne'er  dread. 
And  mony  hae,  and  yet  not  know  it, 

Title  for  an  Adder- bead. 

This  is  a  very  silly  Poem,  but  given  here  merely  because  it 
treats  of  that  mystic  subject  the  Adder-bead. 

Adder  o*  Baldoon. — Amongst  the  many  traditions  of 
Galloway,  appears  one,  entitled  the  Adder  d  Baldoon^ 
the  foundation  of  which  is,  that  a  reptile  of  enormous 
size  was  killed  about  sixty  years  ago,  on  the  fertile  hawtns 
of  Baldoon,  near  Wigtown ;  it  measured  somewhere 
about  eight  or  nine  feet  in  length,  and  in  thickness  that 
of  a  man's  arm.  A  shepherd  traced  it  out  one  dewy 
morning,  by  the  path  it  had  left  on  the  wet  grass,  and  his 
dog  having  come  up  on  it  beyond  a  dyke,  a  dreadful  con- 
flict ensued  between  Collie  and  our  Boa  Constrictor ;  the 
strong  7)'/r,  however,  succeeded  in  worrying  the  huge 
monster,  but  not  until  the  serpent  had  stung  him  so  that  he 
died  next  morning.  The  herd  himself  was  so  panic  struck 
with  the  scene,  that  he  was  never  like  himscll  again ;  and 
died  soon  aftenvards ;  poor  fellow,  he  fancied  that  it  was  an 


ADD  ADD  9 

Hurchon  that  Rover  had  fallen  in  with  at  first — little  did  he 
expect  it  was  an  Adder,  and  one  of  such  magnitude.  Such 
seems  to  be  nearly  the  true  part  of  the  tale.  The  stuffed 
skin  of  it  is  yet  to  be  seen,  I  am  told,  in  some  gentleman's 
museum  in  that  part  of  the  Country.  Warm  imaginations 
have  made  a  good  deal  of  the  tale  though.  They  give  it 
wings  and  claws,  and  finishes  a  dragon,  which  was  as  thick 
as  a  corn  sack  fu;  so  the  whole  becomes  good  food  for 
bairnics  to  take  during  a  Forenicht. 

Adder's  Aith. — What  follows  is  an  Adder's  Oath — 

**  I  hae  made  a  vow — and  I'll  keep  it  true, 

**  That  I'll  never  stang  man,  through  gude  sheep's  woo." 

So  it  may  well  keep  it,  for  it  cannot  break  it  The  Adder 
cannot  pour  its  venom  into  a  wound  made  by  its  fangs, 
through  any  thing  woollen ;  the  wool  brushes  away  the  virus; 
There  is  some  invention  in  this  Aith^  ascribed  to  the  viper. 
It  is  in  vain  to  take  the  oath  of  a  man,  for  instance,  who  is 
base,  poisonous,  and  of  a  reptile  nature,  for  he  will  break  all 
oaths,  and  sting  as  before ;  but  when  he  is  sworn  from 
harming  any  thing  that  is  not  in  his  power  to  harm,  whether 
the  oath  be  off  or  on  ;  then  all's  well. 

Adder  Sloughs. — The  outer  skins  Adders  moult  at  certain 
periods ;  whether  annual  or  no  is  not  yet  discovered ; 
they  are  very  common  on  lands  infested  by  those  reptiles. 

Adder  Stangs. — The  peasantry  in  general  think,  that  the 
tongue  of  the  viper  is  its  sting ;  as  it  comes  nearer  to 
their  idea  of  a  sting,  from  its  similitude  to  that  of  insects ; 
but  it  is  two  large  projecting  teeth  in  the  upper  jaw 
which  do  the  devilry-,  called  fangs ;  they  are  rooted  in 
bags  of  poison,  and  when  the  serpent  strikes  them  into 
any  thing,  they  are  pushed  back  on  the  same  bags,  which 
squeezes  the  venom  out  of  the  valves,  to  flow  down  the 
conducting    teeth    into    the   wound ;    though    this    be   all 


lo  ADD AIR 

known  to  some,  many  argue  in  favour  of  the  tongue ;  that 
it  has  witters  on  it  like  d^fishhuiky  and  as  blue  as  the  main 
spring  d  a  watch, 

Adist. — The  opposite  of  ayout.  The  one  is  on  the  nearest 
side  of  any  thing,  the  other  the  reverse.  An  old  riddle 
respecting  the  nettU  runs  this  way — 

**  Heg  Beg  adist  the  dyke — and  Heg  Beg  ayout  the  dyke — 
"  Gif  ye  touch  H^  Beg — Heg  Beg — will  gar  ye  byke." 

Aggie, — A  name  for  Agnes. 

Aglee. — Not  direct,  off  at  a  side ;  when  the  target  is  missed 
at  shootings  by  a  marksman,  he  is  said  to  have  shot  aglee. 
Those,  too,  who  follow  what  nature  never  intended  them  to 
follow,  are  said  to  guide  the  genius  Aglee, 

Ahin — Behind.     The  same  with  Ahint. 

AiKS  o'  KiRKCONNEL. — A  celebrated  haunt  for  the  fox  in 
Galloway. 

AiN — Own.     Ainselly  ownself. 

Air — Oar.     Also  for,  early. 

Airnin'  Claise. — The  art  of  smoothing  clothes  with  a  warm 
iron. 

Airns  o'  a  Pleuch. — Those  implements  of  iron  which  belong 
to  a  plough,  and  which  have  to  be  repaired  frequently 
at  smiddies  during  the  ploughing  season.  What  a  conse- 
quence ploughmen  assume  sometimes  when  they  meet  at 
forges — giving  directions  to  Vulcan  how  they  want  their 
aims  set — how  the  couter  must  hang  to  the  sock — how  the 
beam  and  head  agree — if  land  be  scanty  or  plenty,  and  what 
not — to  plough  as  ein  as  a  die — and  put  a  skin  on  the  furr 
as  sleek  as  a  salmon, 

AiRT — To  encourage  devilry.  Thus  we  say  of  those  who  puff 
up  others  to  fight,  that  they  are  airters  of  the  savage  broil ; 
the  word  is  never  used  in  the  other  sense — to  incite  to 
laudable  actions — we  never  hear  of  any  airted  on  to  read  the 


AIR  ALI  II 

bible  for  instance — but  boys  are  said  to  airt  on  tykes  to 
collt€shangU  ilk  ithtr.  This  word  airt  is  no  way  connected, 
in  my  opinion,  with  the  other  airt^  wWch  refers  to  the 
compass. 

Airt  o*  the  Clicky. — When  a  pilgrim  at  any  time  gets 
bewildered,  he  poises  his  staff  perpendicular  on  the  way, 
then  leaves  it  to  itself,  and  on  whatever  direction  it  falls, 
that  he  pursues;  and  this  little  trait  of  superstition  is 
termed  the  Airt  d  tJie  Clicky — the  direction  of  the  staff. 
And  townsmen,  when  they  mean  to  take  a  trip  into  the 
country  for  pleasure,  and  are  quite  careless  to  what  part 
of  it  they  wend  their  way,  this  they  decide  sometimes  in 
the  same  way — the  fallen  stick  determines  the  course  to 
be  pursued;  and  often  as  much  amusement  is  found  this 
way,  as  if  the  chart  had  been  pricked  out  But  there 
are  few  buridan  asses  which  will  starve  between  bundles 
of  hay,  not  knowing  which  to  turn  to — so  those  generally, 
who  seek  direction  from  the  staff,  mostly  cause  it  to  gravi- 
tate toward  the  place  they  have  a  secret  inclination  to  go  to. 
As  in  the  auld  sang  of  "  Jock  Bumie  " — 

Ein  on  en'  he  pais'd  his  rung,  then 

Watch'd  the  airt  its  head  did  fa', 
Whilk  was  east  he  lap  and  sung  then, 

For  there  is  dear  bade — Meg  Macraw. 

AiRTS  o*  THE  Lift. — ^The  points  of  the  compass. 

AiSLERWARK. — Masonic  work,  with  hewn  stones. 

AiZLETEETH. — ^Thc  doublc  teeth — the  grinders. 

Aleck — Alexander,  the  man's  name,  the  same  with  Sawnders, 
Sawny,  &c 

Alicreesh — Spanish  licorice,  made  of  the  refuse  of  sugar. 
Is  made  up  in  black  rolls,  about  a  foot  in  length,  and  sold 
in  the  grocers'  shops;  it  is  much  used  in  breweries;  by 
people  troubled  with  the  cough,  and  by  those  who  have 
been  in  the  habit  of  chewing  tobacco.  This  singular 
term  I  have  given  for  it,  as  used  by  the  greater  part  of 


12  ALL  ALL 

the  natives  of  Scotland,  comes  from  the  ancient  word  ali^ 
a  compound,  and  crees/i,  grease.  Rustic  lovers  tell  other 
whiles,  that  they  are  as  sweet  as  Alicreesh.  In  truth,  lovers 
are  oft  at  a  loss  to  find  sweet  enough  comparisons  for 
their  darlings :  a  fellow  once  would  write  a  letter  to  the 
dictation  of  a  lover,  and  asking,  "  what  he'd  break  off 
with,"  the  poor  wretch,  with  the  burning  heart,  replied — 
"  Say  first,  *  Tam '  — and  in  big  letters  —  *  My  dearest^ 
dearest  HainiesuckieJ^ 

Allan-Hawks — A  sea-fowl  with  very  small  wings,  common 
to  be  met  with  on  the  shores  of  Britain;  its  colour  is 
black,  all  but  on  the  breast,  there  it  is  white.  I  wonder 
how  Edwards,  Willoughby,  and  others,  who  have  treated 
of  British  Birds,  have  missed  this  one  in  their  ornithologies. 
It  is  similar  to  the  puffin  in  size,  but  it  cannot  fly ;  often 
after  storms  they  are  found  driven  in  dead  upon  shores; 
whether  it  is  that  the  storms  so  agitate  the  deep,  that 
they  deprive  them  of  food,  and  so  they  famish  amid  the 
waves,  or  whether  by  diving  on  surfy  shores  they  are  dashed 
against  the  rocks,  is  not  yet  known ;  nor  can  it  be  conjec- 
tured how  they  come  to  have  the  name  of  Allan-Hawks. 

Allan  Kinnigham,  the  poet — Allan  Cunningham,  Esq.,  one 
of  the  truest  poets,  and  best  of  men,  Scotland  has  ever 
given  birth  to.  He  was  born  and  bred  in  Nithsdale,  but 
the  greater  part  of  his  father's  family  are  Gallovidians, 
and  lived  long  near  the  village  of  Kilpatrick.  His  father 
was  gifted  with  the  rare  talent  of  a  poet  too,  to  a  certain 
degree,  and  wrote  many  good  little  things  for  a  magazine, 
which  was  published  in  Dumfries  about  sixty  years  ago, 
by  Jackson,  printer  there;  he  was  an  East  Lothian  man, 
but  the  ancestors  of  the  family  are  found  to  have  belonged 
to  that  third  division  of  Ayrshire  called  Cunningham ;  they 
had  been  there  honest  millers  time  out  of  mind,  but  took 
up   arms   in   defence   of    their   dear   country  when   Oliver 


ALL  ALL  13 

Cromwell  invaded  Scotland.  The  worthy  subject  of  my 
present  little  sketch,  began  to  show  symptoms  of  the 
poet  very  early  in  life ;  he  became  extremely  fond  of 
books,  and  listened  always  with  a  greedy  ear  to  the  tales 
of  other  days;  and  the  singing  of  wild  ancient  ballads, 
the  feeling  old  cronoch  of  these  thrilled  with  extacy  through 
his  heart ;  while  the  charming  rural  scenery  on  the  banks 
of  the  Nith  quickened  the  whole,  and  winged  the  ima- 
gination for  soaring  high  in  the  poetic  firmament.  As  to 
receiving  education  at  school,  that  was  as  scanty  with  him 
as  it  ever  was  with  either  Burns  or  the  Ettrick  Shepherd.  To 
men  of  strong  genius,  a  school  is  not  worth  a  farthing,  a 
school  rather  does  them  more  harm  than  good,  unless  the 
domiitic  allows  them  to  learn  whatever  they  please  according 
to  their  taste ;  but  the  moment  they  are  obliged  to  alter  their 
course,  from  that  time  they  are  not  a  guiding  a  right.  For 
all,  where  find  we  a  better  scholar  than  Bums,  or  one  to  match 
Cunningham  ;  the  memories  of  such  men  let  nothing  slip  they 
have  once  grasped,  and  they  know  more  of  a  book  by  giving 
it  a  careless  glance,  than  others  do  by  reading  it  three  times 
through  with  double  milled  specks  on  their  noses. 

Until  our  bard  came  to  be  about  fifteen  years  of  age  he 
wrote  not  on  paper  any  of  his  little  tender  aspirations, 
but  from  this  time  he  began  now  and  then  to  try  his  hand, 
and  a  happy  sight  to  him  was  a  few  verses  in  the  corner  of 
a  Dumfries  newspaper;  he  even  went  so  far  as  to  try  to 
have  an  insertion  in  a  London  Magazine ;  while  thus  the 
days  of  his  boyhood  glided  away  in  song  making,  and 
labouring  at  his  trade  of  a  mason,  Mr.  Robert  Cromek 
came  into  Galloway  a  legend  gathering,  and  having  soon 
found  out  our  wonderful  young  bard,  they  wandered  to- 
gether through  all  the  fairy  haunts  and  warlock  glens  of 
the  country ;  and  having  obtained  a  wallet-full  of  very 
strange  matter,  Cromek  set  off  with  the  bag  and  the  nails 
to  London.      Mr.  Cunningham  was  invited  to  follow,  and 


14  ALL  ALL 

aid  the  publication  of  the  work,  which  was  the  "  Nithsdale 
and  Galloway  song ; "  the  whole  of  which  almost  is  the  work 
of  our  poet;  and  there  he  truly  shines  a  poet  indeed. 
What  a  quantity  of  pure  poetry  is  in  that  book.  The 
Mermaid  d  Galloway — The  Lord's  Marie — Sh^s  gatu  to 
dwallin  Heaven — The  Lass  d  Preston  Mill — My  ain  Coun- 
tries and  many  other  songs  in  it,  are  perfectly  exquisite, 
the  ancient-like  mould  in  which  they  are  cast,  their  strong 
originality  and  feeling  natural  touches — charm  every  Scotch 
mind,  while  the  gentle  melancholy  that  tinges  them  all, 
finishes  them  off  in  a  manner  so  beautiful,  that  when  we 
read  them  we  neither  think  ourselves  nor  this  earth,  such 
gross  things  as  they  be,  but  we  have  entered,  or  about  to 
enter,  some  kind  of  elysium.  After  the  publication  of 
that  book,  in  which  he  shines  so  gloriously,  he  became  a 
constant  writer  in  a  London  newspaper;  but  something 
going  wrong  in  the  management  of  this  paper,  he  laid 
down  his  pen  like  a  true  philosopher,  and  stood  by  his 
trade  of  the  hammer.  But  a  man  of  great  merit,  honesty, 
and  industry,  will  be  taken  by  the  hand,  so  our  bard 
received  a  situation  under  the  celebrated  sculptor,  Mr. 
Chantry ;  and  this  situation  he  yet  holds,  beloved  by  his 
master  and  by  all  who  have  the  pleasure  of  knowing  him. 
For  Mr.  Cunningham  is  not  only  a  poet  and  an  enthusiast 
about  poets  and  poetry,  of  the  very  first  kind,  but  he  is 
also  a  man  extremely  cheerful  in  society,  kind  every 
where,  and  liberal  to  the  last  degree;  he  is  one  of 
those  few  men  who  conduct  themselves  in  such  a  manner 
that  we  do  not  see  any  of  their  faults;  he  is  open  and 
free,  hides  nothing,  dashes  on — a  Scotchman  every  inch ; 
we  see  Caledonia  in  him;  in  every  look,  in  every  move, 
he  makes :  he  gives  his  native  language  its  truest  swing ; 
the  words  flow  from  him  with  the  greatest  ease,  and  with 
a  manly  pith.  Sometime  ago  Blackwood,  the  Edinburgh 
bookseller,   would  have   him    to  become  a  writer  to   his 


ALL  ALL  15 

magazine ;  he  did  so,  and  produced  therein  "  Mark  Mac- 
crabbin,  the  Cameronian,"  a  Very  able  and  singular  pro- 
duction; but  some  misunderstanding  taking  place  between 
that  bookseller  and  him,  he  withdrew  his  valuable  pen, 
and  wrote  for  a  London  magazine;  the  articles  inserted 
there  he  has  since  taken  out  and  published  in  two  volumes, 
the  tales  of  which  are  very  wild,  poetical  and  original. 

Also  lately  he  has  published  a  drama,  named  "  Sir  Mar- 
maduke  Maxwell,"  full  of  passion  and  poetry ;  and  a  wild 
legend,  termed  "  Richard  Faulder ; "  these  have  been  highly 
praised,  even  the  "  great  unknown " — the  Laird  of  Ab- 
botsford — hath  publicly  lauded  both  them  and  their 
author.  At  present  he  is  preparing  two  volumes  of  Scotch 
Songs  for  the  press ;  and  as  far  as  I  am  aware  has  dipped 
deeper  into  the  nature  and  worth  of  these  songs  than  any 
writer  hath  yet  done.  Cunningham  beats  up  game  in  a 
country,  different  from  that  of  either  Burns  or  Hogg  ;  he  is 
not  such  a  mannerest  as  the  first,  nor  such  a  fairy  man  as 
the  last ;  his  melancholy  is  of  a  solemn,  sombre  cast,  not 
like  Bums,  flaming  in  the  vortex  of  passion  ;  nor  like  Hogg, 
dancing  lightly  and  wildly  round  the  halos  of  the  moon ; 
he  has  a  place  between  them — a  place  untouched  and 
unpolluted,  for  such  a  situation,  a  religious  cast  of  a  rare 
kind  was  necessary,  and  this  Mr.  Cunningham  has  in  an 
eminent  degree ;  it  is  a  poetical  religion,  felt  by  some  of 
the  covenanters  when  they  assemble  on  the  wild  breckany 
brae^  beneath  the  blue  canopy  on  a  Sabbath  morning. 

To  conclude,  though  I  may  add  to  the  biography  of 
him,  that  he  has  been  married  now  to  a  worthy,  pleas- 
ant woman  these  several  years,  firom  Galloway,  and 
they  have  a  good  many  hairnies  ;  that  he  himself  is  a  strong, 
hardy  man,  above  six  feet  in  height,  swarthy  visage,  with 
pleasant  features,  his  eyes  and  eye-brows  bespeak  great 
intellect ;  with  all  men  of  genius  of  the  day  he  is  intimate, 
with    Sir   Walter    Scott,  Wordsworth,  Wilkie,  Irving,    &c. 


1 6  ALL  ALL 

and    that   they  all  are     pleased    with  the     friendship    of 
Cunningham. 

So,  therefore,  be  my  thoughts  briefly  stated  respecting 
this  gifted  individual.  If  I  have  said  anything  wrong,  I 
shall  be  sorry — if  I  have  said  too  much  in  his  favour,  dien 
I  am  happy — for  to  say  too  much  to  his  praise  is  a  thing 
impossible;  he  is  a  subject  that  would  not  disgrace  the 
best,  the  strongest  pen  that  ever  was  wielded,  and  he  who 
thinks  I  am  a  flatterer  knows  nothing  of  the  character  of 
Mactaggart. 

ALLAN  CUNNINGHAM. 

Yestreen  in  Fame's  splendid  ha' 

Was  held  a  festival, 
Apollo  he  was  in  the  chair, 

Amid  his  votaries  all. 
When  the  claith  was  furl'd,  the  god  he  raise 

Within  his  fist  a  dram, 
And  sang  *'  A  bumper  toast,"  my  friends, 

*Tis  Allan  Cunningham. 

Dear  Allan,  thus  continued  he, 

My  Allan  frae  the  Nith, 
He  is  ray  charming  bard  for  sang, 

His  muse  is  pangd  wi'  pith. 
Whan  fancy's  flood-gates  he  unlocks 

Forth  gushes  sic  a  dam, 
As  carries  with  it  every  heart, 

Rare  Allan  Cunningham. 

He  is  na  like  some  I  cud  name, 

W^ha  wordy  drive  alang. 
And  clink  awa  for  clinkings  sake 

Thout  feeling  what  is  sang. 
Mere  Gomeralls,  manufactory  bards. 

Their  sangs  are  all  a  sham. 
They  want  the  touch — the  thrill — the  glow, 

O'  Allan  Cunningham. 

Bards  maun  be  bred  in  rural  world, 

There  they  maun  be  the  child. 
There  wade  in  bums,  and  clamber  hills. 

And  listen  stories  wild. 
See  nature  in  a  million  fonns. 

While  she  their  noddles  cram. 
With  what  will  burst  upon  a  day 

Like  Allan  Cunningham. 


ALL ALL  17 

Ay  they  maun  doze  on  sunny  braes, 

And  happy  dream  awa. 
Ay  likewise  ken  what  winter  is, 

And  his  fell  blasts  o'  sna  ; 
While  through  the  curious  warle  o*  man. 

They  dance  about  ram-stam. 
And  queer  poetic  secrets  gain, 

Like  Allan  Cunningham. 

And  there's  a  jade  that  bards  maun  ken, 

Ay  be  acquainted  deep. 
Her  name  it  Melancholy  is, 

She  baith  can  laugh  and  weep  ; 
Can  clean  owreset  the  senses  a. 

She  flings  them  in  a  dwam. 
Her  potent  arm  is  brawly  kend, 

By  Allan  Cunningham. 

My  heart  was  hurt  wi*  Scotlan's  wae. 

About  the  loss  o*  Bums, 
For  wha  cud  stap  their  lugs  ava. 

Whan  sic  a  nation  mourns  ; 
I  order'd  Scotia's  Genius  then, 

To  forward  bring  her  caum, 
Sae  in  her  mint  she  tniely  cast 

My  Allan  Cunningham. 

Apollo  ended,  and  the  shouts 

Of  joy  that  sounded  there, 
Tremendous  were,  the  hall  it  shook 

With  bravo  !  every  where  ; 
Then  music  rang,  and  seas  of  wine 

The  glorious  party  swam, 
And  oft  again  the  toast  went  round, 

To  Allan  Cunningham. 

Allicomgreenzie. — A  little  amusing  game  played  by  young 
girls  at  country  schools.  They  form  themselves  into  a 
circle,  faces  towards  the  centre ;  one  goes  round  on  the 
outside  with  a  cap,  saying,  while  so  doing — 

"  I  got  a  letter  from  my  love, 

**  And  by  the  way  I  drop'd  it — I  drop*d  it." 

Then  she  lets  the  cap  fall  behind  some  one,  the  which 
seeing,  takes  it  up  and  runs  after  the  other  in  order  to 
catch  her;  but  she  eludes  her  as  well  as  possible,  by 
crossing  the  circle  frequently,  and  the  follower  must  ex- 
actly follow  her  steps;  if  she  fails  doing  this,  she  must 
stop,  and  stand  in  the  circle,  face  out  all  the  game  after- 

B 


i8  ALL  AND 

wards ;  if  she  succeed  in  catching  the  one,  the  one  caught 
must  so  stand,  and  the  other  take  up  the  cap  and  go  round 
as  before. 

Allicompain.  —  Enula  Campana,  the  medical  plant;  the 
Elecampain  of  materia  medica ;  truely  the  root  is  a  useful 
thing  in  medicine,  but  my  famous  "  Yirbwives  "  which  shall 
afterwards  be  spoken  of,  think  it  an  antidote  almost  against 
every  distemper  that  inflicts  either  body  or  mind;  so  it 
is  common  in  many  rural  gardens ;  beside  it,  is  generally 
set  a  sun-dial,  and  the  rustics  are  often  seen  wondering 
at  the  two  wonders,  a  thing  poetic  to  see.  I  have  heard 
two  verses  of  an  old  song  on  this  herb — 

ALLICOMPAIN. 

0  !  my  pow  again  is  free  frae  pain, 

1  am  like  mysell  again, 
For  twall  hours  I  hae  lain 

Upon  my  Allicompain  O  ! 

Whan  howstin  made  me  unco*  sair, 
Whan  my  poor  breast  wad  rack  and  rair, 
I  drank  the  broe — it  haled  me  fair, 

The  broe  o'  Allicompain  O  ! 

Allomtree. — The  elm  tree.  The  juice  of  the  bark  of  this  tree 
is  extracted  by  boiling  it,  and  applied  to  sprained  limbs. 

Amaist. — ^Almost. 

Amang  Hans — Amongst  hands.  Little  jobs  are  sometimes 
done  amang  hans  ;  that  is  to  say,  they  are  done  without,  in 
any  shape  retarding  the  large  job. 

Amaton. — ^A  thin  boney  person — an  automaton. 

'An — Used  frequently  for  t/ian — then. 

An — a.  "I'll  lae  thee  Jean  for  gude  and  a" — means,  "Til 
leave  thee  Jean  for  good  and  all." 

Anes-erran — One  errand,  for  the  one  purpose.  I  came  to 
see  ye  anes-erran;  means,  I  had  no  other  errand  than  to 
come  and  see  you. 

Andie — The  man's  name  Andrew. 


AN^R  AN'R  19 

An'ro  Gemmle — I  cannot  say,  neither  can  I  find  any  who 
can,  whether  this  famous  Andrew,  this  notable  mendicant, 
or  Gabcrluftzie-man,  was  a  native  of  any  of  the  parishes 
of  the  South  or  no ;  be  that  as  it  may,  however,  sure  it  is, 
that  he  made  them  one  of  his  favorite  begging  tracks,  and 
was  generally  to  be  found  in  some  "  neuk  o*  Gallowa  or 
anither." 

He  was  a  strong  tail  Carie,  and  had  served  in  the  army 
in  the  capacity  of  a  dragoon ;  he  was  always  called  "  The 
King  of  the  Beggars,"  as  well  he  might,  for  he  not  only 
begged  himself,  but  had  numbers  of  beggar  wives  who 
ran  the  country  and  begged  for  him;  he  supplied  them 
with  "mealpowks,"  appointing  always  on  Monday  morn- 
ings, when  they  "broke  off"  the  "howf,"  they  should 
meet  at  next  Saturday  night,  and  she  who  brought  him 
the  most  meal,  became  his  favourite  sultanna  for  that  time, 
turning  off  those  who  made  small  returns,  and  taking  the 
PoTvks  from  them. 

He  was  of  a  "  crazed  nature^'  like  every  old  soldier  who 
hath  seen  much  blood,  and  when  any  little  thing  curled 
his  temper,  he  became  a  madman  complete ;  he  boasted 
of  his  prowess  at  the  fireside  game  of  "  danis^^  alias  drafts^ 
and  whenever  his  antagonist  was  like  to  be  too  deep  for 
him,  he  took  the  ^^  men^'  of  the  ^^  brod'^  and  dashed  them 
in  the  fire  with  a  vengeance.  He  was  very  fond  too  of 
playing  off  little  jaix  d'esprits  of  his  own  formation. 
Once,  as  a  priest  was  going  to  his  church  on  the  Sabbath 
day  to  hold  forth,  he  espied  An'ro  on  the  road  a  little 
before  him,  seemingly  in  the  most  profound  meditation, 
pondering  deeply  with  "  leaden  eye  that  loves  the  ground," 
something  lying  in  the  way,  and  stepping  seriously  round 
it  The  clergyman  came  up,  and  seeing  the  object  of  his 
wondrous  gaze,  said,  "Well,  An'ro,  what's  this  that  seems 
to  be  puzzling  you  so  ?  for  my  part  I  see  nothing  but  a 
horse-shoe  on  the  road."     "  Dear  me,  returned  the  Gaber- 


20  AXK ARK 

lunzie,  with  uplifted  hands,  what  disna  that  lair  do,  I  hae 
glo^Td  at  that  shoe  now  the  best  part  o'  hauf  an  hour,  and 
deil  take  me  gif  I  cud  say  whether  it  was  a  horse-shoe  or  a 
mare-shoe/*  This  is  Walter  Scott's  —  Eddie  Ochiltree — 
only  he  was  not  a  "  Bluegown." 

Anklet — The  ankle. 

Anordinar — Extraordinar)'. 

Anton — Name  for  the  man's  name  Antonv. 

Antrum — The  name  in  some  parts  of  the  country  for  that 
repast  taken  in  the  evening  called  four  /loms,  anciently 
termed  eenshattks.  This  Antrum  comes  from  the  old 
French,  a  den  or  cave,  now  Antrum  time  is  den  time, 
then  some  animals  go  to  their  dens;  the  sun  also  is 
said  to  sink  to  his  den  or  cave.  Glass,  in  one  of  his 
£ongs,  has  lovers  going  out  at  Antrum  time  to  court,  and 
so  forth. 

Anving  or  Ananving — Owing. 

Apen  Quevs — Young  cows  ;  those  who  have  not  had  calves. 

Aplochs — Remnants  of  any  thing.  Some  few  years  ago  a 
field  of  com  could  not  be  shorn,  nor  a  meadow  mowed, 
without  parts  of  them  being  left  in  corners  uncut,  these 
were  called  Aplochs ;  they  were  left  for  the  benefit  of  the 
warlock  race,  so  as  to  keep  their  favour,  but  farmers  have 
long  ago  defied  all  beings  of  the  sort  to  do  their  worst ; 
Aplochs  now  are  vanished  away. 

Appetie — Appetite.     Appetezed,  having  an  appetite. 

Ardwell — A  ridge  of  rocks  lying  between  two  that  are  larger. 

Ark  o'  the  Cluds — or  Noah's  Ark.  The  various  forms 
the  clouds  assume  in  different  seasons,  are  very  attractive  to 
the  eye  of  man ;  that  one  mentioned  in  scripture,  which 
rose  out  of  the  sea  like  a  man's  hand,  soon  changed  its 
shape.  The  famous  Dean  Swift  thought  he  would  be  a 
clever  fellow  if  he  could  tell   what  shape  a  cloud  would 


ARK  ARK  21 

be  in  when  it  set  in  the  east,  by  seeing  it  rise  in  the  west; 
ere  they  cross  the  canopy  of  heaven,  they  fling  themselves 
into  numberless  figures,  whiles  they  are  one  thing  whiles 
another,  and  whiles  "  very  like  a  whale,"  as  Shakespeare 
says.  But  there  is  no  conglomeration  of  the  clouds,  no 
figure  they  assume  and  hold  by  longer  without  changing, 
than  this  called  the  ark^  or  Noah's  arky  a  description  of 
its  appearance  I  shall  attempt  to  give.  In  the  winter 
season  (for  the  ark  is  not  common  in  any  other),  when 
the  sky  is  clear  and  weather  frosty,  curious  light  grey 
clouds  in  the  shape  of  ribs  will  oft  arise  from  a  point  in 
the  horizon,  and  stretch  over  the  sky  to  its  opposite  on 
the  other  side ;  these  cloudy  ribs  narrow  in  bulk  towards 
the  horizon,  and  are  at  the  widest  right  over  our  heads,  or 
in  the  zenith.  "  If  great  things  can  be  compared  to 
small,"  as  Milton  says,  I  would  liken  this  figure  of  the 
clouds  to  the  half  of  a  cocoa-nut  shell  split  lengthways, 
or  a  Non^'ay  yawl,  in  this  form  will  it  appear  for  a  day 
together,  and  even  longer ;  what  is  singular  too  we  have 
no  half  arksy  the  one  half  never  sinks  beneath  the  horizon 
and  leaves  the  other  half  above  ;  we  have  the  scene  always 
in  perfection,  or  we  have  it  not  at  all ;  we  have  it  as  if  it 
was  calculated  to  appear  in  our  latitude  and  longitude,  and 
in  no  nations  else ;  for  it  begins  to  form,  comes  to  perfec- 
tion, and  vanishes  away,  all  in  our  canopy;  we  may  therefore 
say  there  are  arks  for  every  country. 

When  seen  in  frosty  weather,  as  it  generally  is,  ivathenvise 
fowk  prognosticate  a  thaw  instantly,  attended  wi*  an  auffu 
spaUy  to  the  gnawing  grief  of  the  keen  veteran  curler,  who 
cries  out  yonders  the  cttrse  that  draiuns  the  chariiestane,  and 
cuts  the  head  and  feet  frac  bonspiels.  To  be  short,  the  ark 
is  a  great  thaw  sign,  and  brings  commonly  with  it  enough  of 
water.  It  is  from  its  appearing  somewhat  in  the  form  of  a 
boat,  and  from  its  being  attended  by  a  deluge,  that  it  has 
been  termed  the  ark. 


22  ARS ATE 

Arset — Backwards.  Inclining  to  go  astern ;  the  way  of  a 
swine. 

Arslins — The  same  as  above. 

AscHET. — The  king  of  the  trencher  tribe.  Some  time  ago 
they  were  made  of  pewter,  a  mixture  metal  of  lead  and 
tin,  and  took  the  lead  as  they  do  yet  of  all  the  other  plates 
on  the  dresser,  and  stood  on  the  loftiest  skelf  like  so  many 
shields.  Ashets  seem  to  have  been  the  first  things  of  lame 
ware,  alias  porcelain,  that  have  been  made,  as  about  old 
camps,  castles,  &c.,  pieces  of  them  are  frequently  dug  up, 
and  nothing  else  of  earthen  ware,  if  we  except  urns ;  and 
these  specimens  seem  to  say  the  ashds  have  been  stamped 
and  highly  ornamented. 

Asks — Newts.  Animals  of  the  lizard  species,  they  are 
always  considered  to  have  poison  somewhere  about  their 
hinnerliths, 

AsKLENT — Aslant     Out  at  a  side. 

Ass — ^Ashes. 

AssBACKET — Ashbucket. 

Ata'— At  all. 

Ateen — at  evening.     At  night. 

Aten  out  o'  Ply. — Some  animals  are  said  to  be  aten  out 
d  ply  when  they  are  extremely  lean  in  flesh,  although  they 
have  been  taking  a  great  deal  of  food.  Thus  few  gour- 
mands are  very  fat,  they  eat  themselves  out  of  ply ;  that 
is  to  say,  over-do  themselves  with  eating.  Crows  in 
harvest  are  very  light  in  body,  because  they  have  too  much 
food;  and  in  dead  of  winter,  when  it  is  not  so,  they  are 
fat ;  eating  much  more  than  enough  to  satisfy  nature  is  an 
abominable  thing — far  rather  be  a  drunkard  than  a  glutton, 
the  latter  is  the  most  beastial  of  the  two.  To  see  a  person 
sitting  down  to  dinner,  and  clearing  the  table  before  him,  is 
damnable  ;  let  such  brutes  be  tossed  out  of  the  window. 


ATE AUL  23 

Atestrae— Oatenstraw. 

AucHEN — A  field,  in  the  Saxon.  Thus,  auchen  flower^  field  of 
flowers. 

AucHLATE — An  old  measure.  Two  were  a  peck;  one,  a 
stone  of  meal  nearly  ;  but  these  may  be  much  more  or  less 
according  to  the  craft  of  the  measurer. 

AuLD — Old. 

AuLD  Boy. — A  name  for  the  devil;  or  one  with  devilish 
habits  is  called  an  Auld  Boy, 

AuLD  EVER  MORE  IN  A  PowK. — The  wholc  of  the  works  of 
the  olden  time  in  a  bag;  when  such  would  be  the  case, 
it  is  fancied  that  much  stir  and  commotion  would  take 
place  in  the  same  bag.  So  when  any  one  is  driving  on,  and 
never  looking  behind,  nor  to  the  right  or  left,  it  is  said  he  is 
then  going  on  like  Auld  ever  more  in  a  potvk, 

Auld-Farrent. — Cunning  beyond  years. 

Auld  Huntsman — A  curious  Song. 

O  !  heard  ye  o*  the  Auld  Huntsman 

Wha  dec'd  upon  Bengaim, 
Tak  pity  on  the  Auld  Huntsman, 

And  ay  big  up  his  cairn  ; 
For  ance  a  day — we  weel  may  say 

A  clever  cheel  was  he, 
Nane  was  his  match,  the  tod  to  catch. 

In  a*  the  moor  countree. 

For  wha  cud  rin  wi*  the  Auld  Huntsman  ? 

Wha  cud  keep  up  wi'  him  ? 
O  !  but  he  had  a  brisket  wide, 

And  tight  in  lith  and  lim  ; 
How  he  cud  scour  out  owre  a  moor, 

And  lae  us  a'  ahin, 
WhaneVe  to  blaw — we  stood  ava. 

Than  he  wad  faster  rin. 

He  keep'd  ay  the  dogs  in  sight, 

And  airted  on  the  chase, 
He  maistly  ay  wan  in  tae  death — 

The  glory  o'  the  race  ; 
While  tar  awa — a  mile  or  twa. 

Us  followers  wad  hae  been 
O'wrecome  wi'  heat,  a'  in  a  sweat, 

Yet  pechin  after  keen. 


24  AUL AUL 

For  him  todlowrie  gat  iia  rest 

In  bonny  Gallowa, 
Our  geese  and  gaizlins  met  na  scaith, 

Our  cocks  did  crousely  era' ; 
He  tous'd  the  deil  roun  Criffle-screel, 

And  owre  the  Caimsmuirs  three, 
Down  heuchs  and  craigs — and  glens  and  hags. 

As  fast  as  he  cud  flee. 


Nae  place  but  Cassleinaddies  yird. 

Defied  the  Auld  Huntsman, 
But  there  slec  foxie  laugh'd  at  him. 

And  scorn *d  his  deepest  plan  ; 
For  in  that  keep  fu*  soun*  he'd  sleep, 

Tho'  terriers  roun  sud  yelp, 
Ne'er  start  wad  he — to  whusk  and  flee, 

And  owTe  the  clints  gae  skelp. 


But  age  cam  on  the  Auld  Huntsman, 

His  marrow-banes  ran  dry. 
The  stitches  and  the  rheumatiz, 

Wi*  pain  whiles  made  him  cry  ; 
His  tyices  wore  few,  and  wama  true 

Moormen  forsook  him  too. 
His  voice  cud  no  mak  hauf  a  noise 

To  start  the  talliehoo. 


Than  poverty  beset  him  sair, 

Wi'  his  clauts  o'  cauld  aim, 
Sae  his  twa  staves  he  taks  ae  day 

And  hirples  up  Bengaim  ; 
He  sat  him  do^^'n,  and  glower'd  roun' 

On  heach  an'  laich  countrce, 
Afar  awa  by  Barrlocka, 

And  south  by  Barrcheskeo. 

Now  sigh'd  wi'  grief  the  Auld  Huntsman, 

Than  back  himsell  he'd  throw, 
The  merry  scenes  o'  Auld  Langsyne 

Now  brought  upon  him  woe  ; 
His  fits,  his  faints — his  sair  complaints, 

Nae  langer  cud  he  dree, 
Himsell  he  laid  within  his  plaid, 

And  wi'  a  groan  did  dee. 

Neist  day  the  shepherds  on  the  hill. 

The  Auld  Huntsman  they  foun*, 
Wi'  his  auld  hat  drawn  owre  his  e'en, 

Stiff  streekit  on  the  grun  ; 
Roun'  him  the  nowt  did  snuff  and  rowt. 

Sad  was  the  sight  to  see. 
His  corpse  did  crave,  frae  them  a  grave, 

Sae  they  in  mools  laid  he. 


/ 
f 


AUL AUL  25 

Gane,  gane,  then  is  the  Auld  Huntsman 

To  his  lang  hame  he 's  gane, 
He 's  buried  on  Bengaim  sae  hie. 

And  on  his  wyme  's  a  stane  : 
The  tod  slee  boy  may  howl  wi'  joy, 

For  his  fell  fae  's  awa  ; 
And  now  and  than  for  the  Auld  Huntsman 

A  tear  we  may  let  fa\ 

Auld  Millhaw — An  old  man  of  the  name  of  Sproat.  He 
lived  at  a  place  called  Millha,  in  the  parish  of  Borgue  ;  and 
so  his  name  became  Auld  Millha,  He  was  a  great  railer 
against  modem  manners,  and  a  praiser  of  the  days  of  his 
youth.  As  a  specimen  of  his  mind,  I  give  here  the 
"  Lamentations  o*  Auld  Millha." 

"  Dear  me,  but  fourscore  years  mak  an  unco  odds  o'  the 
times,  and  that's  about  as  lang  as  I  can  min'  ought  now. 
Mony  an  up  and  down  in  the  warl  has  haen  Auld  Millha, 
and  there's  a  queer  something  comes  owre  him  whan  he 
claps  his  auld  bum  down  on  the  mossaik  by  the  cheek  o' 
the  chaumer  door,  and  begins  to  think  awee  and  glowre 

back. There's  no  a  human  cratur  drawing  the  wun  o' 

life  now  that  I  ken'd  in  my  young  days;  they're  a'  i'the 
mools  lang  syne ;  the  last  ane  wha  I  min'  o'  that  waded 
about  i'the  bums  wi  me  whan  a  boy,  and  neiv'd  beardocks, 
was  Wullie  Coskery,  and  he's  gane  to  his  lang  hame  aboon 
hauf  a  dizzen  year  sin.  Wullie  was  ay  but  a  pieferin  useless 
body  a'  the  days  o'  him,  and  ken'd  about  little  but  how 
to  mak  beeskeps,  and  wattle  saugh creels — then  he  wad 
hae  glaiber'd  about  the  splittin  o'  breers  for  the  hale  o'  a 

lang  forenicht  i'the  wunter  time,  without  wearyin. Wattie 

Bennoch  was  gane  afore  him.  Wattie  and  me  had  mony 
a  day  o't  thegether,  but  he  was  ane  clever  chiel,  and  as 
sharp  as  a  preen.  We  gaed  awa  ance — it's  langsinsyne 
now — wi  a  wheen  nowt,  tae  South  o'  Englan,  and  as  we 
war  gaen  by  a  bit  on  the  road  they  ca'd  (let  me  think), 
ay,  they  ca'd,  now  when  it  comes  cross  me,  Templesorby, 
out  came  a  meikle  bill-dog  frae  a  tannaree,  and  was  begin- 


26  AUL  —  AUL 

ning  to  fley  our  drove,  when  Wattie  drew  his  gude  hazle 
rung  frae  neath  his  coat-tail,  and  hit  him  a  whap  wi't 
aneath  the  lug,  till  goth  he  gaed  heels  owre  gowdy  with- 
out a  bough.  But  some  o*  the  town-folks  gat  scent  o't,  and 
out  they  cam  bizzin  like  bees,  to  ding  Wattie  and  me  to  the 
deil.  I  laid  on,  and  sae  did  he,  till  some  o*  us  a*  hech'd 
again.  We  gat  out  amang  them  tho*  at  last  wi  sair  banes ; 
but  gin  we  hadna  been  a  pair  o'  gye  Strang  rouchtous,  we 
wad  hae  lain  like  the  thick-nosed  collytyke  that  day. 

"Dear  me,  what  an  unco  alteration  there  is  now — that 
auld  scrunted  hawthorn  there  afore  me,  adist  the  dyke 
whare  the  flecket  pyets  charkin  on,  and  me,  are  about 
an  age,  coming  fast  up  or  sliding  down  the  figures  9  and  the 

o. Folk  are  no  now  ava  as  the  war  langsyne;    they're 

puir  shilpet  craturs  the  best  o'  them.  I  hae  seen  the  day 
I  wad  hae  pulled  ony  o*m  alf  their  doups  at  the  sweertree. 
Auld  Millha  laments  to  see  them.  I  cud  hae  shorn  ance 
too  man.  O  !  I  cud  hae  sweeped  it  down,  spread  mysell 
laigh  on  the  rigg,  and  gaen  up  the  Ian'  scrieven.  There 
wama  mony  i'the  days  cud  hae  kemped  wi  Auld  Millha. 
My  theebanes  war  then  like  milltimmers,  and  my  fingers 
like  dragtaes.  O  I  I  cud  hae  open'd  out  an  awsome  brisket; 
I  was  fit  for  baith  sock  and  sythe ;  rid  han'd,  nae  wark  cam 
wrang  to  me. 

"  O  I  for  the  days  again  whan  I  was  young.  I  kenna 
what  the  cheels  about  twenty  are  gude  for  now  ava ;  they 
want  the  heart  someway  athegether ;  they  canna  tak  ae  dram 
o*  liquor  now,  without  haeing  as  mony  mimins  and  prieins  to 
gang  through  as  if  they  war  a*  born  gentry.  Langsyne  I  hae 
kend  Tam  Ma'min  and  me  cowpin  o\sTe  a  dizzen  bumpers 
o*  Strang  Holland  gin,  rare  smuggled  stuff,  down  at  the 
Brighousebay,  in  the  wee  while  o'  a  forenicht,  and  never 
giein  a  kink  either  owret  or  aftert. 

"It's  a  pity  to  see  them,  a  pity  faith — the  warls  fast 
degeneratin ;  banes  now  are  as  frush  as  the  branches  o'  an 


AUL  AUL  27 

auld  daezd  plaintree ;  the  folk  hae  nae  intiramers,  as  they 
were  wont  to  hae,  ava. 

"  Wullawuns  and  its  come  to  this  o^t — Hizzies  gaen  spangin 
and  flaiperin  about  wi  white  muslin  frocks  on,  wha  in  my 
younger  days  wad  hae  been  glad  o*  a  piece  hame-made  stuff, 
or  drogget,  and  nae  bonnet  ava ;  whereas  they  hae  bonnets 
now  co'erd  wi  gumfloors ;  and  O  it  was  bonny  to  see  the 
yellow-haird  lasses  coming  happin  owTe  the  kirkstyle  on  a 
simmer  Sunday,  wi  that  laugh  o'  luve  they  gaed  in  every 
look.  Than  they  war  sae  healthy  and  rosey  in  thae  days  by 
what  theyre  now.  There  was  never  a  lass  but  ane,  I  think, 
in  my  kennin,  wha  dee'd  o'  a  wastin,  and  she  was  ane  o* 
the  name  o'  Tibbie  Mitchell,  a  bastard  bairn  o'  ane  Girzy 
Mitchell's,  wha  wond  in  the  Tannimaws.  (The  doctors 
said  it  was  o*  that  she  dee'd,  tho'  it  was  whusherd  that  it 
was  wi  takin  owre  heavy  drinks  o'  the  sap  o'  the  saving- 
tree — to  keep  a  wee  scraichin  sinner  frae  seeing  the 
light  o*  day.)  There  was  nae  tea  amang  them  in  thae 
days — nane  o'  that  vile  spoutroch  sae  meikle  sloated 
owre  now-a-days — na,  na,  we  had  nae  jabblin  thing  like 
scaud  ava  to  sipple  wi ;  but  milkporritch,  sowings,  and 
sic  like  glorious  belly-timmer — famous  swatroch,  man ; 
noble  stiveron. 

**  WTian  we  pang'd  our  pechans  wi  sic  like,  there  war  nae 
asthmas  or  cruchlins  ever  heard  o' ;  we  could  hae  hunted 
the  fox  roun  Caimhattie,  without  a  turn'd  hair  being  seen  on 
our  heads,  and  putted  a  stane,  fifty  pun  weight  I  dare  say, 

near  hauf  a  mile  ;  ane  wad  hae  thought .     The  young 

lasses  get  nae  men  now  sic  as  the  are  either,  as  they  gat 
langsyne ;  deil  a  hizzy,  gin  she  had  leuked  ony  think  Hke 
marryin  ava,  but  wad  hae  got  somebody,  or  she  wan  to 
twenty;  but  now  they  gae  by  thratty,  and  mony  a  ane 
bids   fareweel   to    matrimony,   and    curses    the    men  athe- 

gether,    on    the    borders    o'   forty. Sad    wark,    man — 

Hoch  anee. 


28  AUL     -  AUL 

"  Hechhowhum,  granes  auld  Millha  by  the  cheek  o'  the 
caumer-door ;  on  the  bink  o*  auld  mossaik,  and  what's 
gaen  to  come  o*  the  parish  of  Borgue  ava,  my  gude  auld 
native  parish ;  the  Browns  and  the  Sproats  are  a  weedin 
awa ;  they  hae  been  a  taking  gye  thrang  o*late,  to  the  lane 
kirk-yard  down  on  the  shore. 

"  A  new  set  o*  folk  is  coming  about  me  athegether  now, 
wha  talk  about  plowin  and  middinmakin ;  gin  they  be 
allowed  to  come  in  amang  us  as  they  hae  been,  we'll  be 
berried  out  o'  house  and  ha  in  a  crack,  for  they  say  they 
can  afford  sic  rents  for  the  lairds,  and  can  manage  a 
grun  sae  and  sae.  I  dinna  like  them  ava  :  I  wuss  they 
wad  a  gae  wa  the  road  they  cam — awa  by  the  Dinscore 
or  Mochrum — and  fash  us  douce  bodies  nae  mair  i*i*  their 
glaiberin  nonsense . 

"  I  hae  seen  the  days  whan  there  war  nae  carts  wi'  wheels 
in  a*  the  parish,  nor  harrows  wi'  aim  teeth,  but  carrs  and 
harrows  wi*  teeth  o'  whunroots,  and  yet  we  did  full  weel 
for  a' ;  had  ay  rowth  to  eat  and  drink  and  smiok  amang  o' 

the  best  of  things. Them  wi'  their  thrashing  machines, 

aimpleuchs,  and  turnipbarrows,  mere  falderaloes,  ripin  up  a' 
the  bits  o'  green  hoams,  and  forcing  wheat  to  grow  whar  Pro- 
vidence never  intended  it,  and  a'  for  the  lairds,  the  tennant 
bodies  are  never  a  babee  the  richer  o't ;  awa  wi*  yer  nice 
agriculture,  yer  game  laws,  and  yer  Madeira  wines — Borgue 
disna  lang  for  a  sight  o'  them — Howt's  no . 

**  Awa  wi*  yer  readin  priest,  yer  I^tin  dominies,  yer 
rooms  spread  wi'  carpets,  yer  fallow  fiels,  and  yer  fenders  ; 
and  let  me  hear  a  cheel  skelpin  a  sermon  affloof,  anither 
leamin  the  bairns  the  rule  o*  three  and  plain  arithmetic  ;  the 
bare  sleek  yird  I  hae  mony  a  time  shook  my  shanks  on — 
fiels  to  plow  just  as  my  father  plow'd,  and  nae  fenders  to 
hinder  the  aizles  frae  spangin  out,  but  lads  and  lasses, 
bare-fitted  and  bare-legged,  wedged  thick  roun  the  bonn)' 
ingle —  . 


AUL      AUL  29 

"  Never  turn,  gentle  Borgue,  or  thou'llt  gang  a*  to  the 
bumwhush ;  stick  by  the  creed  o'  thy  forefathers,  never 
laugh  at  the  gude  auld  law . 

"  Dear  me,  but  it  makes  my  heart  sair — to  see  things 
chynged  and  chyngin  sae  far  frae  their  ancient  wont. 
There's  nae  courtin  gaen  on  now  amang  the  bumbraes,  the 
glens,  and  aneath  the  soughin  hawthorns — na,  na — the  prim- 
rose, the  bludifinger,  and  the  crawtae  grow  unsqueez'd  and 
unlooked  at ;  the  mavis  and  the  yellow-nebed  blackburd,  let 
them  sing  now  as  they  will,  they  are  never  heard.  How*t 
tow*t,  there  can  be  nae  meetings  now  on  a  snug  bam  mow  to 
pass  a  night.  Burnies  too  maun  a  rin  anither  gate  now  frae 
what  natur  intended ;  lochs  too  are  a*  drained — wild-ducks 
hae  nae  wallees  now  to  guddle  in,  ane  can  hardly  get  a  bit 
dub  for  a  chaunlestane  rink . 

"  Hech  how,  there's  nae  fun  ava  now  amang  the  fowk ; 
they're  a*  grown  as  serious  as  our  auld  minister  wont  to  be 
at  a  sacrament ;  nae  meetings  at  ithers  ingles  to  sing  sangs, 
and  tell  divertin  tales ;  nae  boggles  now  to  be  seen  about 
Hells'-hole  and  the  Ghaistcraft;  nae  witchwives  about  the 
clench,  nor  warlocks  about  the  Shellin  Hill  o'  Kirkaners. 
How't  no — what's  the  folk  guid  for ;  the  Dei'l  has  crossed 
their  een  with  his  club,  or  else  Peggy  Little,  the  gillwife, 
has  broke  some  charm  wi'  her  rowantree  beetle  or  kirn- 
staff . 

"  Fairies  and  brownies  hae  fled  Borgue  athegither  now ; 
even  a  donsy  beggarbody,  wi'  a  snug  sheepskin-wallet  and 
pikestaff,  is  now  to  be  seen.  The  folk  are  a  drownin 
themsells  in  trackpots  and  teabroe,  fiykin  wi'  cups  and 
saucers  and  peutrin  about  nothing ;  there's  no  a  chiel  worth 
a  doit  amang  them — but  some  ane  or  twa,  there  be  nane 
worth  a  tinkler's  tip-pence . 

**  0» !  for  the  days  again  when  I  brew'd  and  sell'd  yill  at 
the  Saughligget ;  thae  war  days,  but  they're  gane  now,  and 
Borgue  will  ne'er  see  the  like  o'  then: . 


30  AUL AUL 

"  But  its  foolish  in  me  to  lament  and  fret  mysell  sae  about 
things ;  short  maun  may  be  my  time  o'  the  warl  now ;  soon 
shall  I  be  carried  heels  foremost  out  o*  that  auld  biggin, 
and  laid  a  gude  Scotch  ell  aneath  the  mools  o*  the  lane 
kirk-yard  ;  my  family  is  a'  there  afore  me,  a'  but  ane,  and  he's 
awa  by  the  Ingies.  O  that  he  was  aside  me  now;  what 
tales  wad  I  no  tell  him,  and  sing  him  scores  o*  auld  sangs, 
that  maun  a'  sink  aneath  the  sod  wi'  auld  Millha . 

"  I'll  lift  tho',  and  gae  wa  intae  auld  chaumer — read  a  bit 
o'  St  Luke's  worthy  sayings — tak  a  blaw  o'  the  cuttypipe, 
and  syne  hirsle  my  body  into  my  ain  auld  warm  croovie 
o'  a  bed /' 

Auld  Mill  o'  Mochrum. — ^There  are  few  men  in  Scotland 
who  are  fond  of  hearing  news  and  curious  things,  who  have 
not  heard  of  the  Auid  mill  d  Mochrum  ;  any  person  who 
seems  to  want  something  obviously,  is  said  to  be  like  this 
mill,  for  she  has  a  want  also,  which  art  could  scarcely 
supply,  which  is  a  back  door;  now  all  mills  should  have 
a  door  of  this  kind,  and  because  she  cannot  have  one  is, 
that  her  back  is  built  against  a  blue  solid  rock.  Also  this 
mill  is  used  to  fling  out  the  inquisitive ;  thus,  if  a  person 
be  met  on  the  road,  and  asked  at  "  where  going,"  to  the 
**  auld  mill  d  Mochrum  "  is  frequently  the  reply ;  so  the 
auld  mill  o"  Mochrum  is  used  in  the  west  the  same  as  the 
auld  kirk  d  Dinscore  in  the  east,  and  makes  the  forward 
blush.  **Whar  do  ye  live  whan  ahame,"  quoth  a  country- 
man in  the  Gallwaygate,  Glasgow,  to  another  whom  he  had 
just  sold  an  horse,  "  Ken  ye  whar  the  auld  kirk  d  Dinscore 
is,"  was  the  reply — "  ay^'  returned  the  other,  "  wi  t/ian^^ 
said  the  next.  The  poor  farmer  inquired  about  the  said 
auld  kirk  till  he  was  wearied  out,  and  satisfied  that  he  had 
been  hoaxed  of  his  horse. 

Auld  Mortality. — This  was  a  man  of  the  name  of 
Thomas   Paterson,  and  was  born  and  bred,  as  I  am  told. 


AUL AUL  31 

in  the  parish  of  Baulmagie,  one  of  our  Galloway  parishes ; 
there  are  living  yet  many  hundreds  who  personally  knew 
him,  of  the  people  of  these  parts  ;  he  was  of  this  world 
before  my  time  of  marking  any  thing ;  yet  I  am  acquainted 
with  some  of  his  relations,  particularly  with  a  lovely  young 
woman,  Miss  Paterson,  his  niece ;  whether  he  served  a 
regular  apprenticeship  to  the  stone-cutting  or  carving 
trade,  or  took  it  up  at  his  "own  hand,"  as  the  saying  is, 
cannot  now  be  known ;  but  it  would  seem  the  latter  way 
is  nearest  the  truth,  as  he  never  was  very  dexterous  at  the 
art,  his  letters  are  always  clumsy  and  ill-shaped ;  frequently 
too,  the  words  were  divided  when  the  margin  of  the  stone  in- 
trudes, and  even  some  of  his  lines  are  interlined.  The  honest 
"  Kintrafowks  "  are  at  no  loss  to  tell  the  "  wark  o'  Tamous 
Paterson  '*  from  that  of  another^s,  when  they  meet  with  it  in 
kirk-yards,  whether  it  is  on  a  ^'Throuch  or  a  head-statuJ^ 

He  was  a  singular  enough  character,  and  well  deserving 
the  attention  of  Sir  Walter  Scott's  mighty  genius,  and,  per- 
haps, there  is  not  a  finer  piece  of  writing,  fraught  with  every 
thing  beautiful  and  charming,  in  the  many  darling  volumes 
written  hy  that  wonderful  author,  as  his  description  of  Auld 
Mortality,  at  the  beginning  of  the  "  Tales  of  my  Landlord ; " 
the  potent  penman  has  given  that  detail  of  him  a  melancholy 
poetic  tinge,  which  causes  the  engraver  to  touch  our  affec- 
tions in  a  twinkling. 

Then  he  has  drawn  him  almost  exactly  to  the  truth ;  the 
licence  he  has  used  with  him  is  small ;  just  as  he  says,  he 
wandered  about  the  country  amongst  the  kirk-yards,  with  a 
little  white  shelty,  cleaning  and  taking  a  parental  charge  of 
the  martyrs*  stones,  viz.  those  martyrs  of  the  covenant  whom 
Scotland  stood  by,  and  saw  butchered  by  a  set  of  lawless 
and  base  courtiers,  to  her  eternal  disgrace !  wherever  he 
found  these  stones,  whether  on  wild  moors  or  lonely  kirk- 
yards — the  fogg  he  scoured  neatly  off  them,  and  renewed 
their  inscriptions  with  his  chisel. 


32  AUL  AUL 

But  this  engrossed  only  a  small  part  of  his  trade,  as  he 
plied  his  tools  to  all  who  employed  him,  stopping  at  night 
in  any  decent  farm-house  that  came  in  his  way,  for  being 
of  a  religious  turn  of  mind,  he  was  made  welcome  almost 
every  where,  and  kindly  treated  by  the  inmates,  more  pat- 
ticularly  too  by  the  Hillfowk,  for  the  care  he  took  in  pre- 
serving .the  memories  of  their  glorious  brethren  ;  he  seldom 
carried  a  bag  or  wallet  with  him,  as  the  writer  of  the 
famous  tales  says,  wherein  was  his  tools  for  working  with ; 
no,  I  am  firmly  told  he  had  rarely,  if  ever,  such  a  thing ; 
but  an  old  chisel  in  his  pocket,  and  for  a  mallet  to 
strike  with,  he  used  a  "  Whunsiane "  for  common,  picked 
up  about  where  he  intended  to  work;  these  stones  are 
yet  to  be  found  in  burial-grounds,  hollowed  out  a  good 
deal  on  one  side,  by  striking  the  head  of  the  carving  im- 
plement; so  to  be  minute — he  often  would  weep  when 
labouring  on  a  martyf  s  stone,  the  cause  of  this  may  be 
understood,  without  it  being  told  And  there  was  a  stone 
in  Kirkandros  kirk-yard,  in  the  south  of  the  parish  of  Borgue, 
and  is  there  yet,  which  he  was  often  beat  with  to  clean,  the 
inscription  so  overpowering  his  feelings  by  conjuring  up 
before  him  the  following  inhuman  truth  : — 

"  In  the  days  of  that  infernal  persecution  of  the  innocent 
and  independent  covenantors^  taylors  had  the  clothes  of 
both  males  and  females  to  make  among  the  common  folks, 
there  were  no  mantua-makers  concerned  with  the  rural 
natives  in  these  times,  and  the  women  had  a  fashion  of 
having  pieces  of  lead  about  different  points  of  their  dresses, 
to  make  these  points  gravitate,  in  what  was  then  considered 
the  ban  mode ;  so  the  sons  of  the  *  thimble '  were  obliged 
to  have  always  plenty  of  this  metal  about  them,  that  they 
might  go  on  with  their  trade,  and  supply  their  customers: 

"One  of  these  taylors  fell  unfortunately  into  the  hands 
of  a  party  of  Grier  o*  Laggs  men,  as  he  was  going  to  one  of 
his  houses  to  work,  and  these  blood-suckers,  finding  lead  in 


AUL  AUL  33 

the  pockets  of  the  poor  fellow,  they  instantly  charged  him, 
that  he  was  going  to  cast  bullets  with  it. 

In  vain  did  the  lad  deny  the  charge,  and  still  in  vain  did 
he  implore  them  to  mercy ;  then  and  there  they  bound 
a  napkin  on  his  eyes,  and  shot  him  through  the  heart. 
O  !  Hell,  you  contain  no  villains  greater  than  these  ! 

But  let  me  cling  close  to  my  present  subject: — Auld 
Mortality  liked  a  dram  by  a  time,  like  many  another  honest 
man,  and  often  would  have  come  to  my  grandfather's 
house  at  Conchieton,  in  the  gloaming,  pretty  glorious ; 
and  one  night,  as  he  was  wandering  through  Annandale, 
with  his  old  shelty,  he  took  too  much  of  the  "  Ovz/wr," 
which  "  doiter'd "  him,  and  made  him  lose  his  way ;  and 
having  wandered  on  until  he  and  his  companion  became 
quite  exhausted,  he  alighted  off  the  back  of  his  faithful 
comrade,  for  the  last  time,  and  betook  himself  to  a  quarry- 
hole  for  shelter,  and  there,  with  the  fatigue  and  the 
'*nappie,"  he  fell  asleep  —  no  more  to  awake  in  this 
world — for  a  stormy  night  of  sleet  came  on,  and  the 
cold  froze  the  warm  blood  in  the  heart  of  Auld  Mor- 
tality ;  but  his  memory  shall  not  perish ;  it  has  got  a 
famous  heazie  already ;  and  should  this  unvarnished  sketch 
of  mine  do  any  good  to  it,  by  way  of  a  test,  I  shall  always 
feel  happy. 

Auld  Strength. — The  strength  of  an  old  man. 

Auld  Strengths. — Those  strong  places,  in  the  days  of 
yore,  where  parties  of  men  kept  themselves  secure  from 
their  foes,  such  as  caves,  camps,  castles,  &c.  What  a 
number  of  these  are  in  the  south  of  Scotland,  accounts 
of  some  of  the  most  astonishing  will  appear  by  and  by 
at  their  proper  article. 

Auld   warl   Fairy. — A   human  being   not   like   this   world, 

having  a  strange  appearance  ;  some  of  the  sons  of  genius 

are  so  called  ;  when  in  the  country,  they  haunt  out  of  the 

c 


34  AUL  AVA 

way  nejiks   as  auid  glens ;    they  are  commonly   strangely 
clad,  with  long  hair  and  quick  eyes. 

AuLD   Wife. — A   man   having  much  the   nature  of  an   old 
wife  about  him. 

AuM — Allum. 

Aumbry. — A  large  oblong  press  or  box,  which  stands  on  end 
in  a  nook  of  almost  every  country  kitchen ;  it  is  generally 
divided  into  two  apartments,  a  higher  and  a  lower,  with  a 
broad  folding-door  to  each  ;  in  the  heigh  aumbry,  as  the 
upper  place  is  called,  yJ/z/r/f  d  bread,  or  oaten  cakes,  on  their 
edges,  lie  closely  packed  together  for  daily  use,  also  the  nual 
baste,  the  feather  s^vooper,  and  such  things.  In  the  laigh 
aumbry,  or  lower  place,  bacon,  hams,  and  beef,  which  have 
rcestled  long  enough  in  the  smoke,  barley  for  the  broth,  wod 
shears  for  clipping  sheep,  fining  wod  kames,  and  a  variety  of 
other  articles,  remain  huddled  together. 

Auntie — Aunt. 

AuRR — ^The  mark  of  a  scar. 

AuRRiE  o'  Kirks. — That  space  or  area  down  the  middle 
of  churches,  between  the  rows  of  seats;  country  people 
pay  great  attention  to  the  manner  in  which  strangers  walk 
up  and  down  the  aiirrie, 

AusTRAN  Carle — An  old  man  of  an  austere  manner. 

Aux — Ask  ;  incjuire,  &c. 

AvA — At  all. 

Aval. — When  an  animal  lies  down  upon  its  back,  in  such 
a  manner  that  it  cannot  bring  its  feet  to  bear  up  its 
body,  so  as  to  rise  again,  we  say,  that  animal  is  m^ai. 
Ewes  with  lamb  are  often  in  this  state,  and  must  be  set 
on  their  feet  by  the  shepherd's  aid,  if  not,  they  soon  be- 
come a  prey  to  the  corbies  and  hoodycraws.  In  an  old 
Poem  on  Corbcs  ,  this  verse  appears  — 


AVA  AYO  35 

Whane'er  they  fin  a  ewe  fac'n  aval, 
Ilcr  trolly  bags  they  do  unravel, 
The  hootlycraws  and  them  will  caval, 

I  And  worry  owre  her  ; 

The  e'en  out  o'  her  pow  they'll  naval. 

And  sae  devour  her. 

Men,  too,  whose  affairs  run  wrong,  when  they  cannot  help 
themselves,  but  by  the  help  of  man,  are  said  to  have  fdeu 
aval.  There  is  a  line  in  a  Poem  which  hits  lawyers 
amongst  the  unfortunate — 

•*  Tho'  they  croak  owre  us,  as  owre  avald  sheep." 

Aval  Lan. — Land  which  has  once  been  broken  up  by  the 
plough  ;  land,  as  it  were,  laid  down  to  be  cropped ;  this 
word  aval^  as  applied  to  land,  seems  to  be  quite  con- 
nected with  the  other. 

Aver  IN — Talking  carelessly. 

AwMOUS. — An  alms  ;  charity ;  generally  the  /;/  <f  the  glide 
ivife's  Iian  of  oatmeal  frae  out  the  four-part  dish  :  old 
greedy  luckies  in  ill  times — used  only  to  cover  their 
knuckles,  and  so  cheat  many  a  icaefii  body, 

Awn'd — Owned.      He    never  a^vn'd  me;   he    never   owned 

me  ;  he  never  seemed  to  know  me. 
Awns   o*    Bear. — The   beards  of   the    grain    barley ;    there 

are  other  kinds  of  grain  which  have  beards  or  awns,  but 

this  is  the  most  common. 

AwRiGE. — Those  little  ridges  which  are  made  by  the  plough, 
and  are  so  laid  one  by  another,  that  they  cover  the  seed 
when  they  are  harrowed  down  on  it;  it  is  the  angular 
points,  as  it  were,  above  the  level  of  a  ploughed  ridge. 

AwsE  o*  A  MiLLWHEEi.. — Those  boards  fixed  on  the 
periphery  of  a  wheel,  to  receive  the  water  after  it  leaves 
the  trau'se  for  the  purpose  of  moving  machinery. 

AwTEALS. — A  small  kind  of  teal,  little  larger  than  snipes. 

Ayont. — Beyond ;  there  is  a  place  talked  of,  called  the 
"  back  of  beyont,  where  the  mare  foaled  the  fiddler." 


36  BAA BAC 

B. 

Baa — A  word  used  in  lulling  a  babe  to  rest  In  the  old 
song  of  Rocking  the  cradle,  "  hushie  baa  babie  lye  still " 
is  a  line  much  used  ;  it  is  a  very  musical  word,  baa  ;  I  have 
heard  nurses  give  it  a  melancholy  cadence,  that  I  have 
weeped  to  hear  them.  Beggar  wives  with  infants  at  the 
breast  know  well  the  value  of  the  word,  and  can  twang  it 
up  on  so  many  mournful  keys,  that  it  thrills  a  good  awmous 
from  the  hardest  heart 

Ba — ^A  ball,  more  commonly  used  for  a  soft  ball  than  for 
one  hard. 

Babie — A  babe. 

Babiecloots — A  babe's  clothing. 

Babbles — What  may  be  considered  foolish  nonsense,  though 
they  often  turn  out  to  be  facts,  and  facts  sometimes  bab- 
bles. When  we  hear  of  a  bonny  lassy,  or  a  virtuous  lad 
going  astray  in  the  paths  of  rectitude,  we  exclaim  ha7vts 
babbles,  though  we  believe  in  the  truth  of  it  at  the  same 
time.  Babbles  may  therefore  be  said  to  be  nonsense,  yet 
admitting  of  doubts,  to  be  truth. 

Babbs — That  vile  luce  or  slimy  matter  a  razor  scrapes  off 
the  face  in  shaving. 

Bach — An  ejaculative  word,  expressive  of  disgust 

Bachles — Old  shoes ;  also  the  lumps  of  snow  which  adhere 
to  shoes  when  walking  among  snow. 

Bachruns — Excrement  of  oxen,  dried  in  the  summer  sun  ; 
they  are  used,  viz.  bachruns,  by  poor  people  instead  of  peats 
for  fuel ;  and  they  even  gather  them  off  the  autumn  green 
fields  for  winter's  use  ;  "  mony  a  gude  tale  is  tauld,  and 
mony  a  cutty  is  made  lunt  owre  the  glead  o'  a  bachrun^^ 

Back-and-Breested — In  that  Scottish  game  at  cards  called 
Lent,  which  is  generally  played  at  for  money,  when  one 
of  the  gamblers   stands,    that    is   to    say,   will  play,  and  is 


BAG  BAG  37 

lenUd^  which  is,  outplayed  by  those  who  stood  and  played 
also ;  then,  if  this  happen,  and  the  divide  too  at  the  same 
time,  this  person  is  said  to  be — back  and  breested, 

Backcreels — Baskets  made  of  willows,  formed  to  fit  the 
human  back — ere  the  invention  of  "  wheel-barrows,"  these 
were  used  in  cleaning  byres,  stables,  what  not 

Back-door-trot — The  diarrhoea;  those  with  the  body  in 
a  lax  state,  are  said  to  have  the  back-door-trot. 

Backen — That  space  of  time  between  harvest  and  winter — 
the  back-end  of  the  year  as  it  were — many  a  farmer  leaves 
pieces  of  work  in  spring  and  the  summer,  to  be  done  in  the 
backen ;  but  when  that  period  arrives,  they  are  still  left 
undone,  perhaps  till  the  next  wanrtime ;  thus,  bad  jobs  are 
put  off  till  the  last ;  nor  do  these  little  procrastinations  do 
much  harm  for  all.  Gallovidians  love  to  be  contented ;  they 
are  naturally  so  ;  they  dislike  to  be  pushed  and  hurried,  and 
to  make  the  warle  a^  faught.  They  are  never  very  rich  in 
money,  nor  yet  very  poor ;  have  enough  for  the  necessaries 
of  life,  even  in  a  civilized  state ;  enough  for  the  back  and 
belly,  and  something  of  an  overplus  whiles  to  help  one 
another  in  straits ;  so,  what  more,  ye  philosophers,  I  would 
ask,  is  a  wanting  for  the  enjoyment  of  this  world  ? 

Backieburd — The  bat ;  these  half  mice — half  birds,  are 
fond  of  any  thing  white.  On  fine  evenings,  when  they 
are  bickering  about,  if  a  white  cloth,  or  a  "  mutch "  be 
put  on  the  top  of  a  long  pole,  they  will  gather  round  it, 
and  rest  themselves  in  the  folds  thereof. 

Back-lick — A  back-blow.  Gommonly  these  blows  are  the 
most  severe  of  any. 

Back  out  Owre — Backover. 

Back  r  ans — Backwards. 

Backset — A    setting-back    of  any    thing,    or    a    something 


38  BAG  BAI 

that  retards:  thus,   wet  weather   is    a    "backset"   to    the 
farmer  in  "  the  hay  and  harvest  time." 
Backside — One  of  the  many  names  for  the  seat  of  honour. 

Backspang — Backspring;  men  not  overly  honest,  too  are 
said  to  **  hae  mony  a  backspang  about  them." 

Backstane — A  large  broad  stone,  placed  behind  those 
good  peat  fires  which  bum  on  hearths,  not  in  grates. 
Such  fires  are  common  in  the  moor  country ;  and  it  is  no 
strange  thing  to  see  a  wearied  "  herd,"  in  the  winter,  taking 
a  sleep  sometimes  on  the  backstane^  as  that  stone  is  always 
thick  enough  to  be  a  seat. 

Bad— Did  bid. 

Bade — Stayed ;  did  not  shift 

Bae — The  bleat  of  a  fat  sheep. 

Baggie — A  person  with  a  big  belly. 

Baggrell — A  young  person,  of  awkward  growth  ;  big- 
bellied. 

Baillie  Days — Those  days  on  which  farmers  laboured 
to  their  lairds,  now  partly  done  away  with.  Bailly 
days  were  mentioned  in  tacks,  and  so  many  days  of  bailly 
harrowing,  so  many  of  baillie  peating^  and  on  so  :  they 
were  very  troublesome  days  to  farmers,  and  these  bailly 
works,  I  may  add,  brought  kempin  to  great  perfection, 
for  when  the  labourers  of  many  farmers  met,  they  be- 
haved little  better  with  other  than  when  strange  herds 
of  oxen  meet,  goring  and  frothing  about  who  to  have  the 
mastery — 

Bains — Bones. 

They  wha  buy  beef,  buy  bancs, 
And  lliey  wha  buy  Ian,  buy  stanes. 

Old  Proverb. 
Bairnies — Children. 

Bairntimk— The    time    a  woman   takes    to    breed    her    fa- 
mily.     Old    wives    mention    always     this    baimtime    with 


BAI  BAL  39 

much  reverence;  indeed,  it  is  generally  the  most  eventful 
period  of  a  female's  life,  not  to  be  entered  into  rashly  by 
them  if  they  thought  much  ;  but  young  girls  are  so  fonned 
by  nature,  as  neither  to  dread  beginning  with  it,  nor  to 
think  any  thing  of  it — Give  them  a  dear  "  man  " — then  all 
their  woes  are  at  an  end. 

Bairnsplav — Any   kind  of   game  or   sport  more   becoming 
children  to  play  at,  than  people  grown  up. 

Baissie,  or  Baishen — A  bason ;    a  vessel    for   holding  any 
thing,  commonly  meal. 

Baith — Both. 

Bakeboard — A  board  to  bake  oatmeal  cakes  on. 

Bakies,    or     Baked-peats — Peats    baked    with    the    hand ; 
not  cut  with  spades. 

Balderdash — Nonsense — foolery. 

SIR   BALDERDASH. 

Some  twa*r  three  thousan*  years  ago, 

Ane  bastard-bairn  somehow 
Was  got  atween  a  curious  pair, 

A  Gomerall  and  a  Gow. 

The  bamie  like  a  breckan  thrave, 

It  never  took  a  brash  ; 
*Twas  fed  on  new  kimed  butter-milk. 

And  named  Balderdash. 

The  baimie  soon  became  a  man 

O'  meikle  fame  and  cash, 
For  whilk  his  king  did  title  him 

The  grand  Sir  Balderdash. 

Amang  the  ladies  then  fu'  gay 

He  made  an  unco  flash. 
And  bonny  Madam  Clashmaclaver 

Wan  Sir  Balderdash. 

O  I  Madam  was  a  blooming  wench, 

And  gabbed  night  and  day  ; 
A  tinkler's  curNC  she  did  na  care 

What  she  did  think  or  say. 


40  BAL  BAL 


Nac  hizzic  was  a  match  for  her 

In  clauchan  or  in  town  ; 
O !  but  she  liked  weel  to  gab 

A  dizzcn  fallows  down. 

Which  please<I  weel  Sir  Balderdash, 
And  made  him  fondly  Aether  ; 

As  she  gae'd  tonmie,  and  he  gae'd  tongue. 
And  baitli  gae  d  tongue  th^cther. 

And,  strange  to  tell,  they  seldom  ere 
Complained  that  they  war  weary  ; 

He  to  his  bosom  aft  wad  squeeze 
His  sweet  enchanting  deary. 

And  saftly  whusher  in  her  lug 

That  he  wad  never  waver  ; 
But  love,  to  this  yirth's  latest  birl. 

His  charming  Clashmaclaver. 

And,  strange  to  tell,  it  never  coold. 

They  ay  war  pack  wi'  ither  ; 
E*en  to  this  day  they  blythly  look, 

And  never  seem  to  wither. 

Her  cheeks  yet  blush  rosieways. 
Her  breasts  seem  scarcely  wore. 

They  look  fu'  fit  yet  to  gie  sook 
To  baimies  mony  a  score. 

Though  mony  a  Gow  and  Gomerall, 
Though  mony  a  Goaf  and  Glumf, 

Though  mony  a  Haverall  they  hac  bred. 
And  mony  a  famous  Sumf. 

Sae  brave  Sir  Balder  drives  about. 
And  looks  fu'  sj^ruce  and  trig  ; 

The  de'il  a  gouty  tae  has  he, 
Nor  belly  curving  big. 

And  no  a  hair  upon  his  pow 

Seems  yet  akin  to  white  ; 
And  a'  the  tusks  ere  had  his  jaws 

Can  quick  as  ever  bite. 

Though  nought  but  twa  he  ever  hatl, 
Twa  gruesome  tusks  to  snack  ; 

Twa  azle  fangs — but  clean  unfit 
The  nits  o'  sense  to  crack. 

The  fashions  he  o'  every  age 

Doth  follow  to  an  inch  ; 
By  laws  nonsensical  he  stands, 

And  frac  them  wunna  flinch. 


BAL  BAL  41 


In  Parlimcnt  he  whiles  appxiars. 
And  tells  a  lang  wund  story  ; 

Sometimes  he  seems  to  be  a  Whig, 
At  ither  times  a  Tory. 

And  whiles  he'll  try  a  blunnerboar 

\Vi*  his  queer  whup  to  lash, 
lie  misses  him — the  cracker  hacks, 

And  nips  8ir  Balderdash. 

Wi*  soldiers  he  doth  seldom  ever 

Gae  to  fields  to  slash, 
But  pesters  ay  the  warl  o*  saul. 

The  blockhead  Bauldenlash. 

Nor  yet  wi'  sailors,  mang  the  seas, 
Will  he  gae  duck  and  swash  ; 

He'd  rather  loll  wi'  fiddlers, 
The  mighty  Balderdash. 

The  poets  he  ca's  a'  his  friends. 
And  they  wha  deal  in  rhyme. 

He  gies  a  monthly  pension  to. 
And  suppers  mony  a  time. 

And  priests  wha  i*  the  pulpit  rant. 

And  caper  on  a  tub. 
At  market-crosses,  to  attract 

The  ragged  hubblebub. 

They  be  his  cousin  Germans  a', 

In  truth  ilk  worthy  hash 
In  estimation  high  is  held 

By  big  Sir  Balderdash. 

And  baith  himsell  and  the  gude  wife 

Hae  written  meikle  trash ; 
O  !  mcmy  a  library  is  pang'd 

Wi*  her  and  Balderdash. 

For,  no  a  day  flees  ow're  their  heads 

But  volumes  they  do  i>en. 
And  still  their  plots  and  stories  come 

Nae  nearer  to  an  en'. 

That  warl  o'  fancy  they  adore 

O'  subjects  ne'er  rins  out ; 
That  spring,  Castalian,  whilk  they  quaff, 

Is  an  eternal  spout. 

But  let  us  damn  or  praise  them  now. 

Or  let  us  neither  fash  ; 
But  leave  Sir  Wisdom  to  himsell 

To  rule  Sir  Balderdash. 


42  BAL  BAN 

Ballop — The  shop   door  in  a  man's  nether  clothing ;    the 
same  with  "  Sparc  "  (which  see). 

Bambouzled — Confounded,  affronted,  treated  rudely. 

Bamf — A  fellow  \nth  broad  feet. 

Bamfin — Tossing,    tumbling,   &c.       Auld    John    M*Clellan, 
wha*s   now    awa,    Bafmd,    in    the    Solway    Frith,  many  a 
storm   with   his   shell-wherry,   according    to    his   queer   ac- 
count.    He  wont  to  be  "  bamfin  aff  the  heads "    wi*    Col- 
lier Briggs  whiles,  and   they   under  close    reefed   iapsails. 
Seldom  ever  was  he  out  any  long  voyage  with  his  boat,  but 
the  "  tvaihcr  bruik "  on  him,  or  he  got  back  :   once  going 
into  Ramsay-bay,  in  the  Isle  of  Man,  the  ^^  wather  bruik'' 
on  him,  and  "  dog  a  bit "  (as  he  told  the  story),  there  came 
a  sea  owVe  the  whurrie's  quarters,  and  sweeped  his  hat  and 
wig  wi't ;  sae  he  had  to  spread  his  sea-coat,  in  the  "  stem- 
sheets^'  to  keep  out  the  sea,  while  he  steered  the  "  whurrie  " 
into  Ramsay,  wi'  a  "//r;//V  on  his  pow." 

John  was  an  oddity,  and  told  strange  tales ;  when  it  hap- 
pened he  was  telling  one,  and  any  thing  made  him  lose  the 
"  thread,"  he  always  referred  to  the  wife  to  set  him  right 
again,  by  inquiring  at  her,  "  \\Tiar  was  I,  Meg."  Meg 
knew  all  his  tales,  the  greater  part  of  which  were  lies  ;  but, 
by  his  telling  them  long,  he  came  to  think  them  truths. 

John  was  a  celebrated  country  fiddler  in  his  day,  and  his 
tunes  are  very  popular. — The  life  and  character  of  this 
being,  drawn  fully  out,  would  form  a  diverting  book. 

Banefires — Bonfires;  fires  of  joy. 

Bans'men — Men  who  bind  sheaves,  and  put  those  sheaves 
in  "  stooks,"  alias  shocks,  behind  reapers.  These  men  are 
commonly  old  steady  men,  who  have  seen  many  a  harrest. 
They  gather  straws,  and  keep  the  boon,  in  order,  when  the 
gude  man's  back  is  at  any  time  "  turned." 

J^an'sters — The  same  as  above. 


BAN  BAR  43 

I3ang — A  blow. 

I^ANNOCKS — Round  thick  cakes,  ornamented  frequently 
with  a  hole  in  the  centre :  butter  is  often  used  in  their 
composition ;  but  if  they  can  be  got  "  haurnd^''  toasted  on 
a  " ke/pkiiij'  when  the  kelp  is  in  fusion,  then  they  have  no 
need  of  butter.  For  more  particulars,  see  the  article — 
Miilbannock, 

Banton-cocks — A  small  species  of  cock,  yet  full  of  spirit; 
some  say  they  are  good  fighters.  An  Irishman's  opinion  on 
them  once  was,  that  he  did  not  doubt  '*  but  that  there  was 
as  much  game  in  Banton-cocks  as  there  was  in  the  Carrik- 
smokerSy^  the  first  brood  for  the  pit  in  his  country.  Little 
men,  fond  of  fighting,  are  too  termed  Banton-cocks, 

Baps — Little  rolls  of  loaf-bread. 

Barefit — Barefoot ;  schoolboys,  particularly  in  the  coun- 
try, strip  off  shoes  and  stockings,  "  whanere  the  harrows 
b^n  to  trot,'*  and  put  them  not  on  again,  till  the  hinharrest 
iitfu ;  indeed,  many  of  them  are  so  hardy,  as  not  to  shod 
their  feet  the  year  round.  I  have  seen  them  slide  on  ice 
barefit,  and  wade  through  snow  to  the  knees ;  and  I  have 
followed  their  example  for  fun  whiles  myself,  and  found  it 
not  so  cold  as  fancied  :  also,  I  have  run  barefit  with  them 
through  "  Rossen's  o'  Whuns,  after  burds." 

Bar  for  Bar — The  game  of  rhyme ;  Gallovidians  are  so 
fond  of  clink,  that  they  have  a  game  with  it,  and  a  strange 
one  it  is  truely,  when  thought  of :  two  or  three,  and  some- 
times more,  amuse  themselves  with  it,  to  dinnle  aiva  the 
thniy  as  they  say.  One  of  the  players  invents  a  line,  the 
next  that  follows  must  give  one  to  clink  to  it,  and  have  a 
little  sense  also ;  a  third  follows,  and  on  so  :  those  who 
can  hold  out  longest,  and  clink  best,  gain  the  game,  and 
are  allowed  by  all  for  that  heat  to  have  most  of  the  poet 
in  their  composition. 


44  BAR BAR 

Although,  like  Hudibras — 

They  who  write  in  rhyme,  still  make 
The  one  verse  for  the  other's  sake  : 
For,  one  for  sense,  and  one  for  rhyme, 
They  think  sufficient  for  a  time. 

I  may  give  a  specimen  of  the  game,  as  played  by  three 
players — 

The  first        O,  Tam,  I  dearly  lo'e  a  lass  ; 

second  Is  she  a  maid  that  has  the  brass  ? 

third      Or  is  she  o'  the  bonny  class  ? 

first        Weel,  Jock,  yc're  but  a  cuddy  ass, 

second  And  what's  Tam  but  a  stinking  mass  ; 

third      His  sweetheart's  breath  smells  worse  than  gass. 

first Why,  Jock  and  you  are  just  like  glass, 

second  Through  us,  ye  think,  the  light  doth  pass, 

third      And  that  we're  fit  to  feed  on  grass. 

first        Twa  fools  ye  be,  alas  !  alas  ! 

second  But  thou'rt  a  fool  as  such  ne'er  was, 

third      And  has  a  voice  like  music's  bass. 

So  the  third  becomes  the  winner,  and  puts  an  end  to  the 
balderdash. 

Barkend  wf  Dirt. — Stiff  with  dirt;  this  from  ship's  sails, 
being  sometimes  "  barkend  red  "  in  tan-pits,  with  the  juice 
of  oak-bark,  to  make  them  endure  longer. 

Barley — Parley ;  to  treat,  to  have  peace  for  a  moment. 
This  word  is  much  used  in  rural  games ;  "  a  barley "  is 
often  cried  for  the  sake  of  momentary  relief. 

Barliefetterer — An  implement  of  many  edges  used  for 
taking  the  beard  off  the  grain  barley. 

Barliehood — When  one  is  angry,  it  is  said  to  have  on  the 
barliehood. 

Barm — Yeast ;  the  froth  which  works  ale.  Yeast  from  malt- 
ale  will  not  only  work  malt-ale,  but  all  other  ales ;  whereas, 
the  barm  from  '' bra^-ivort''  and  ''  trikhyiir  is  useless. 


BAR  BAR  45 

Barmwhun — A  thick  close  branch  of  a  whin,  whereon  barm  is 
laid  by  thrifty  gudtiuives^  and  hung  carefully  upon  some  nag  : 
there  will  it  keep  good  long,  and  answer  for  brewing  with. 

Rarniewater — What  a  number  of  original  characters  has 
this  Galloway,  at  one  time  and  another  bred  ;  it  is  a  per- 
fect nest  for  them,  not  two  of  the  country  folks  being 
found  any  way  similar  to  other ;  nature  so  sports  herself  in 
the  formation  of  them,  that  she  moulds  no  pair  alike.  In 
towns  she  casts  thousands  with  one  "  caum^'  but  in  a  wild 
rural  country,  she  uses  a  new  caum  at  ever)'  cast,  and  what 
rude  grotesque  creatures  she  whiles  will  produce  :  one  of 
these,  to  an  eminent  degree,  was  Barnitiuaier. 

He  was  of  the  name  of  Livingston,  but  was  always 
named  Barniewater,  from  a  moor-farm,  in  the  parish  of 
Girthon,  which  he  many  a  day  was  the  tenant  of  It  was 
there  where  he  made  a  considerable  sum  of  money,  and 
first  presented  his  originality  to  the  world.  With  this  cash 
he  purchased  a  little  estate  of  the  name  of  Grobdale,  not 
fiir  from  the  famous  fountain  of  Lochenbrack,  and  there  he 
died,  a  few  years  ago,  a  very  old  man.  His  hair  hung  down 
his  back  as  white  as  a  "  lintstraik^^  and  his  eyes  looked 
out  from  beneath  his  hat,  in  that  sly  shrewd  manner  which 
bespeaks  no  common  intellect. — He  was  naturally  very 
fond  of  money,  so  that  some  went  the  length  to  say,  "  his 
greed  made  him  lift  mair  than  his  ain  whiles."  I  am  in- 
clined to  doubt  this — for  it  is  always  the  case  when  a  per- 
son gets  rich  in  a  i)lace  where  no  others  can,  that  he  is 
branded  with  the  epithet  of  being  dishonest ;  now,  it  is 
true  that  Barnitivater  scraped  a  good  deal  of  cash  out  of 
one  of  the  most  barren  sterile  places  that  can  well  be  fan- 
cied— where  only  rocks,  moss-hags,  dints,  garries,  gall, 
and  heather  were  to  be  seen — in  a  place  where  no  animal 
of  farm-stock  kind  could  live ;  even  the  goat  had  much 
ado  to  exist  on  it  in  the  heart  of  summer ;  yet,  for  all,  what 


46  BAR BAR 

will  industry  and  care  not  overcome.  WTien  he  went  to  a 
market  or  fair,  for  instance,  he  eluded  those  roads  whereon 
were  fixed  toll-bars — he  paid  for  no  whisky — he  was  at  no 
expence — he  was  always  plotting  the  best  method  of  evad- 
ing it ;  so  saved  much  in  this  little  way,  which  many  others 

did  not . 

In  coming  to  Kirkcudbright,  he  was  always  pestered 
with  the  Tongueland  toll-bar,  in  his  way  ;  but  he  left  his 
horse  before  he  came  through  it,  and  walked  on  foot  to 
the  town  and  Ixick,  though  a  walk  of  four  miles,  to  save 
two-pence — and  this  he  did  to  the  last  of  his  days  ;  old 
age  could  not  alter  his  rigid  economy.  To  behold  him, 
mounted  on  his  old  shelty,  was  truly  a  laughable  scene, 
the  animal  being  always  so  lean — a  perfect  "  rickle  S 
banes,'^  and  the  saddle  a  goat-skin,  by  way  of  ^^si/ggan" 
with  stirrups  worn  to  mere  skeletons  in  their  way . 


Before  he  got  a  wife,  he  rummaged  the  whole  country 
in  order  to  find  one  :  wherever  he  heard  of  a  woman  being 
in  the  matrimonial  market,  there  was  he,  and  there  did  he 
treat  with  themselves  or  their  parents  about  striking  a  bar- 
gain, as  if  they  had  been  brute  animals.  Love  was  never 
felt  nor  spoke  about  —  he  would  have  said,  "  that  he 
had  the  farm  of  Barniewater — his  name  was  Livingston — 
ablins^  they  had  heard  o*  him — he  had  a  gude  deal  o'  sillar, 
sax  or  aught  score  o*  gates  and  about  as  mony  black-faced 
sheep,  and  of  course  he  expected  that  the  wife  wad  bring 
him  something  equivalent." 

Thus  went  he  on  for  a  long  time,  and  all  the  girls  of  Gal- 
loway became  acquainted  with  him,  yet  he  found  few  will- 
ing to  treat  with  him  about  a  match  :  at  length,  he  brought 
one  so  near  the  point  of  closing,  that  he  would  allow  her 
five    minutes    to    make    up    her  mind  whether  she  should 

have  him  for  a  husband  or  not. The  short  space  of  five 

minutes   soon  fled,   and  she  agreed   to  wed  Baniieioater ; 
she   brought   him  something  like  an  ecjuivalency  too,  and 


BAR  BAR  47 

a   ^^ sonsy''   daughter,  as  a   ^^ iuckpenny^''    in   a  short   time 
after — , 

This  daughter,  being  bred  in  a  wild  moorland  region, 
where  few  of  her  kind  she  ever  met  with,  except  her  strange 
pjarents,  the  lassie  became  extremely  wild,  ran  like  a  hare, 
and  hid,  if  she  had  seen  any  human  being  approach  the 

house . 

Her  father  was  prevailed  on  by  some  person  to  send  her 
to  a  boarding-school  awhile,  to  get  some  education;  he 
took  her  to  Dumfries,  for.  that  purpose,  and  had  much  ado 
in  leaving  her  behind  him :  she  clung  by  his  coat-tails,  and 
^^scraich'd''  out  as  if  she  had  been  a  creature  from  the 
shores  of  Nootka  Sound,  or  some  such  out-of-the-way 
place,  and  at  night  she  set  up  a  horrible  howling.  Next 
morning,  betimes,  she  took  to  her  "  scrapers,''  as  the  Irish 
phrase  it,  and  skelped  home  in  a  crack,  on  the  "  light  side 

of  her  foot,"  to  Barniciuater . 

She  was   troubled   no   more  with  a  boarding-school,    or 
indeed  any  other  kind  of  school  but  that  of  nature,  and  has 
turned  out  to  be  one  of  the  cleverest  females,  both  in  mind 
^nd  body,  as  is  in  the  country :  she  could  ride  the  wildest 
joung  horse  that  ever  "  lap "  bare-backed,  with  nothing  on 
its  head  but  a  "  cincfd  hair  halter ; "  this  she  would  do  not 
''^saddle   to  side,"  as    women  ride,  but  "/<^  on  every,"  as 
the   men  do  :   and   for  working  amongst  sheep,  there  was 
not  a  herd  so  good  in  her  neighbourhood  ;  she  would  have 
brought  the  goats  off   Cairnsmoor  too  in    grand  stile,  run- 
ning  up  and   do^Ti  precipices  as   quick    as  them. But 

whether  she  ''^ gather d  ivide"  as  many  thought  her  father 
did,  it  becomes  not  me  to  say.  I  have  taken  her  father's 
part,  that  he  was  not  in  reality  such  a  person  as  was  sus- 
pected, and  I  shall  stand  by  it,  though  report  is  flat  against 
mc,  that  the  mark  he  knew  his  flocks  by,  was  the  mark  of 
^^  rounsto7C'ing,"  that  is,  cutting  off  the  cars  altogether — 
that  he   flung   his  marches  open  to  his  neighbour's  sheep. 


48  BAR BAR 

and  when  they  came  upon  his  land,  he  ''^  rounstou^d^'  their 
ears,  which  was  doing  away  with  all  other  marks,  and  so 

getting  them  to  become  his  property .    This   character 

made  him  be  disliked  by  his  neighbours,  and  there  were 
often  serious  broils  between  him  and  them.  One  of  these 
affairs,  with  a  farmer  of  the  name  of  Clark,  came  before 
a  court  of  justice,  and  can  be  found  told  at  great  length, 
in  the  Dumfries  newspapers  of  that  time :  the  law  went 
against  Bamiewaier^  and  he  and  his  wife  were  put  in  gaol 
some  time  about  it . 

And  my  opinion  is,  that  he  was  badly  used  in  that  con- 
cern. The  affray  took  place  on  a  Sunday  afternoon,  to  be 
sure,  which  was  not  a  right  thing  :  but  this  Clark  met  him 
and  his  wife,  taking  a  walk  on  that  day,  and  insulted  them 
with  tales  of  "  rounstonnng,^^  which,  no  one  could  say  was 
actually  true,  which  stuff  roused  Barni^s  wrath,  and  he 
and  the  wife  gave  the  insolent  fellow  a  laughable  drub- 
bing . 

Barnicivater  was  a  creature  of  patience,  perseverance, 
and  good  nature  ;  he  never  keep'd  company  with  those 
whom  he  termed  ^^debush'd  curses ^^  but  sober  plodding 
souls,  like  himself,  were  his  favourites.  He  had  a  custom, 
as  all  moor-farmers  have,  of  throwing  the  bones  they  pick, 
over  one  of  their  shoulders  to  their  dogs  in  waiting  :  he 
was  taking  his  dinner  somewhere,  and  behind  him  on  the 
wall  hang  a  looking-glass  ;  he  threw  a  bone  smack  over  his 
shoulder,  which  sent  the  mirror  to  pieces.  To  pay  the 
damages,  pleased  him  ill,  but  he  had  to  cash  out,  much 
against  the  inclination . 

Such  was  a  very  rare  being — was  one  wTiting  a  novel 
he  could  be  done  some  justice  to ;  whereas,  in  short 
sketches  of  this  kind,  it  is  difficult  to  lay  him  so  before 
strangers,  that  they  may  behold  him  as  he  was.  1  o  know 
a  person  well,  one  must  hear  him  often  speak — know  how 
his  pulse  beats  on  various  occasions — and  so  get  glimpses. 


BAR  BAS  49 

as  it  were,  of  the  interior  of  the  bosom — with  some  know- 
ledge of  what  goes  on  in  the  pericranium. 

!Barnman's-jig — This  is  a  dance  which  those  persons  have 
who  thrash  with  the  flail.  The  swoople  on  the  end  of  the 
hand-staff  being  whirled  round  on  the  barn-floor  by  the 
hamman  ;  every  wheel  he  gives  it,  he  leaps  over  it,  and  so 
produces  a  very  singular  dance,  worth  walking  a  mile  to  see, 
yet  few  of  the  barriers  who  do  this  dance  in  style,  are  willing 
to  perform  before  spectators.  The  girl  who  kaves  the  corn 
is  the  only  one  for  common  who  is  gratified  with  the  sight. 
I  once  insisted  on  an  Irishman,  whom  I  was  told  was  good 
at  it,  to  let  me  see  ;  but  all  I  could  insist  availing  nothing, 
he  got  angry,  and  exclaimed — "  Hoch,  by  the  frost,  don't 
bother  me — I  won't  give  a  spring  at  this  time ;  you  may  as 
well  whistle  jigs  to  a  mile-stone." 

Barried — Thrashed ;  as  with  a  flail. 

Barries — Flannel  belts,  for  wTapping  round  the  bodies  of  infants. 

^ARROWTRAMS — The  side  bearers  of  a  hand-barrow. 

Barrs — ^Large  hills,  ridges,  &c.  What  a  number  of  barr-hills 
there  are  in  Galloway ;  these  were  barriers  in  the  days  of 
jore — ^places  of  defence — places  which  divided  the  power  of 
l>arons. 

5a.rr's  Cat — Perhaps  Macvey,  Napier,  Brewster,  Miller,  &:c. 

liave  not  an  article  in  all  their  encyclopaedias,  like  this  one 

in  mine,  termed  Barr^s  Cat,     It  was  a  very  large  monster  of 

Sl  bawdronSy  that  was  known  about  the  farm  of  Barr,  in  the 

jparish  of  Pennigame,  about  sixty  years  ago  :  it  was  as  large 

^  cat  as  CrumwhulVs  Gibb,  to   be   afterwards  spoken  of: 

"•he  size  of  it  became  proverbial  all  over  the  country,  and 

^very  thing  larger  than  it  should  be,  was  said  to  be  a  rouscr^ 

like  Bart's  Cat, 

.SH — A  blow. 

^SHFu' — Backward — modest 


50  BAS BAU 

Baskwather — Dry    withering     weather  ;    the    wind,    when 
such  prevails,  blows  out  of  the  east  and  north-east,  jasl 
as  it  blew   on   the  Prophet  Jonah,  when  it   withered   Imis 
gourd. 

Batch — A  crew  of  blackguards,  who  keep  each  others  compart  j. 

Batchelors'-buttons — A  beautiful  red  button-shaped  flower. 

Batt — A  blow. 

Bati'les  o*  Strae — Bundles  of  straw,  folded  neatly,  as  it  were; 
into  themself.     See  IVafps. 

Baubee — An  half-penny. 

Baudminnie — An    herb    having    the    same    qualities   as  the 
"  Savingtree"  which  see. 

Baudrons — One  of  the  cat's  names. 

Bauldy — The  name  Archibald. 

Bauldy  Corson — AVhat  an  original  character  was  Bauldy; 
sometimes  called  Serjeant  Corson ;  he  was  a  native  of 
Galloway,  and  could  boast  of  having  not  a  little  high-bom 
blood  in  his  veins — ^but,  as  Pope  says, 

**  That  ancient,  but  ignoble  bloocl, 

**  Has  creep'd  through  scoundrels  ever  since  the  flood." 

For  this  our  hero  cared  nothing ;  in  learning  and  dissipa- 
tion he  passed  his  youth,  and  before  he  was  twenty,  en- 
listed into  a  regiment  of  militia,  called  the  Bualeughs^ 
in  honour  of  that  worthy  Scottish  family  of  Buccleugh. 
In  it  he  did  not  long  remain  as  a  private,  for  his  genteel 
address  and  bewitching  manner,  soon  had  him  adorned  with 
a  sash,  and  furnished  out  as  a  serjeant ;  such  a  person  as 
Bauldy  soon  caught  the  eye  of  his  commander,  the  Duke, 
for  though  not  a  tall  man,  his  figure  as  a  soldier  was  great, 
and  his  natural  talents  of  the  first  rate ;  he  was  advanced 
again  to  the  high  post  of  a  recruiting  serjeant,  and  sent  with 
a  party  of  good  looking  privates,  into  the  towns  and  country 
places  of  Scotland,  to  enlist  the  unwary. 


BAU  BAU  51 

And  never  was  there  a  character  better  cut  out  for  his 
station  than  he,  and  seldom  ever  was  there  need  for  such 
characters  as  he,  at  that  time,  when  all  the  continental  world 
growled  around  us,  threatening  an  invasion  every  day;  he 
possessed  as  it  were,  every  property  that  can  be  supposed 
qualifications  for  the  office ;  he  could  give  a  damn  with 
singular  bravado ;  he  was  a  blackguard  of  great  grace,  and 
drank  whisky  after  a  most  enticing  manner.  The  cock  of  every 
company  he  was  in ;  the  head-man  of  every  party.  At  fairs, 
and  other  public  gatherings,  what  fascinating  speeches  and 
harangues  did  he  not  make  at  the  drum-head;  those  who 
before  had  an  utter  abhorrence  of  a  military  life,  just  leap*d 
at  the  bounty  ;  then  he  was  as  good  at  keeping  his  recruits, 
as  he  was  at  enlisting  them ;  when  any  desertions  took  place, 
none  were  found  so  capable  of  ferreting  them  out  as  the 
Serjeant;  if  he  was  beat  with  finding  them,  they  were  bid 
Jareweel  to  cheerfully;  when  Bauldy,  the  sly  hound,  was 
let  slip  on  them,  the  game  was  almost  sure  to  be  caught ;  he 
was  often  obliged,  in  this  service,  to  traverse  the  greater 
I)art  of  the  three  kingdoms.  What  tales  he  had  about 
catching  those  runaways,  starting  them,  perhaps,  out  of  some 
den  in  the  dark  Cannongate  of  Auld  Reekie,  then  following 
in  view  over  Berwick-upon-Tweed,  and  afterwards  het  fit 
to  London ;  or  if  they  had  taken  the  westerly  range  it  was 
all  one  to  the  Serjeant ;  he'd  cross  Stran^goiver  ;  post  after 
them  through  Green  Erin,  and  hook  them  up  in  the  devil's 
own  city,  Dublin.  But  whisky  and  debauchery  fairly  taking 
the  upperhand  of  him,  he  was  obliged  to  turn  tail  on 
the  regiment,  retired  into  Galloway,  and  took  to  himself 
a  rib.  Still,  however,  his  friend  the  Duke,  could  not  alto- 
gether lose  sight  of  him,  but  got  a  birth  for  him  in  the 
Customs,  viz.  that  of  a  Tide  waiter^ s.  While  in  this  situation 
he  played  the  devil  with  the  smugglers  all  along  the  shores 
of  Solway  Firth ;  he  discovered  all  their  dens  for  secreting 
contraband  goods ;   nothing  could    go    beyond   his  craft  ; 


52  BAU  BAU 

he  fairly  C07ud  the  gowan,  as  the  saying  is.  On  hearing, 
once,  of  the  arrival  of  a  smuggling  lugger  at  Port  Mary, 
away  he  posted,  in  order  to  learn  what  had  become  of  the 
cargo,  but  knowing  this  not  to  be  altogether  an  easy  matter, 
he  had  recourse  to  the  following  stratagem. 

Having  put  himself  under  a  garb  of  disguise,  he  went 
nmning  with  great  haste  into  one  of  the  smuggler's  houses, 
and  cried  out  amongst  a  bevy  of  their  wives  who  were  as- 
sembled, "That  the  hale  o'  the  Corbies  o*  the  Custom- 
house war  within  less  than  a  mile  o*  the  Burnfit,  and  that 
if  they  did  na  set  too  instantly,  and  hide  every  thing  better 
than  it  was  hidden,  they  wad  fin'  the  haleware  in  a  twink- 
ling.'' 

The  which  intimation  created  no  small  stir  amongst  them, 
thinking  the  informant  to  be  one  of  their  well-wishing  neigh- 
bours ;  to  better  hiding  they  went,  and  Bauldy  stripped  the 
coat  and  seemed  to  work  the  throngest  But  no  one  appear- 
ing to  alarm,  they  concluded  that  the  person  who  raised  it, 
must  have  been  mistaken,  so  they  returned  to  their  houses, 
satisfied  that  this  was  the  case. 

The  Achan  of  the  camp,  however,  slunk  away  firom  them, 
and  returned  next  day  with  a  party,  seized  the  whole,  to  the 
utter  astonishment  of  the  smugglers  in  that  quarter. 

Still,  he  took  spirits  to  excess,  was  no  very  good  husband, 
flashed  away  a  small  estate  of  land  he  fell  heir  to,  lost  his 
government  place,  got  quite  reduced,  retired  into  the 
country,  brought  his  scholarcraft  into  action,  and  taught  a 
small  rustic  school.  Bauldy  though  was  too  long  in  turning 
the  dominie  ;  his  pupils  were  few,  so  he  was  obliged,  though 
sore  against  his  will,  to  mow  and  sow  com  occasionally. 
After  all,  he  was  a  fellow  of  great  abilities ;  could  I  look 
through  man  with  the  same  eyes  that  Bauldy  used,  I  should 
think  myself  very  clever  indeed  ;  he  knew  the  lineage  too, 
of  all  the  families  of  note  in  Galloway ;  could  follow  them 
out  like  a  squirrel  along  every  branch  of  tlie  tree,  and  over 


BAU  BAU  53 

and  above,  and  double  all  that ;  he  had  good  stories  to  tell 
for  ever ;  good  old  tales,  as  many  as  would  fill  fifty  numbers 
of  any  magazine  now  published ;  and  then  he  told  them,  in  a 
dialect  of  which  he  was  a  complete  master,  the  Gallovidian  ; 
then  he  could  sing  well ;  that  old  song  "  The  Shepherds  of 
Galloway,"  he  could  give  a  twang  too,  that  made  it  quite 
charming ;  he  had  numberless  barrs  and  staves  of  song,  but 
they  in  general  had  so  many  threads  of  blue  inten^'oven  in 
their  frame,  that  I  won't  insult  modesty  by  giving  them.  I 
may,  however,  note  down  a  few  verses  of  a  very  singular  Poem 
he  used  frequently  to  recite,  called  "  The  Soldier's  Prayer  : " 

Frae  a*  lang  marches  on  rainy  days, 
And  frae  a'  stappages  out  o'  our  pays, 
And  frae  the  washerwoman's  bills,  on  the  damned  claise, 

Gude  Lord  deliver  us. 

Frae  mountain  guard  whan  the  snaw  rides  deep, 
And  frae  standing  sentry  whan  ithers  sleep, 
And  frae  barrack  beds,  whar  lice  and  bugs  do  creej), 

Gude  Lord  deliver  us. 

Frae  a'  bridewell  cages  and  blackholes, 
And  officers'  canes,  wi'  their  halbert  poles. 
And  frae  the  nine-tail'd  cat  that  opposes  our  souls, 

Gude  Lord  deliver  us. 

May  a*  officers  wha  make  poor  men  stand, 
'I'ied  up  to  the  halbert,  foot,  thigh  and  hand, 
Die  rotten  in  the  p — x,  and  afterwards  be  d — n*d, 

Gude  Lord  deliver  us. 

The  following  verse  of  the  old  song  he  sang  in  fine  stile  : 

Enough  o'  meal's  come  in  at  Leilh, 

And  herring  at  the  Broomilaw, 
Cheer  up  your  heart  my  bonny  lass. 

There  s  gear  to  win,  we  never  saw. 

Johnic's  Greybreeks,  he  also  could  do  ample  justice  to. 

Altho'  my  love's  gane  far  awa, 

Whar  guns  and  cannons  rattle  o', 
Alas  that  he  should  chance  to  fa' 

In  some  unhandy  battle  o'. 
And  I'll  clout  my  Tohnie's  Greybreeks, 

For  a'  the  ill  he  s  dune  me  yet, 
And  I'll  clap  a  clout  aboon  a  clout. 

And  see  to  turn  the  wun  about ; 
For  I  hope  to  see,  before  I  dee, 

Our  bairns  dancing  roun'  us  yet,  &c. 


54  BAU BAU 

After  singing,  he  used  to  fetch  a  deep  sigh,  as  if  former 
days  had  crossed  him,  as  doubtless  they  often  did  :  then  he'd 
give  his  exclamation,  which  always  was  htchy  aweel  an  hechy 
and  follow  it,  perhaps,  by 

Up  and  waur  them  a*  WuUie, 

Up  and  waur  them  a\ 

Up  wi'  your  lang  pikestaff. 

And  ding  them  down  to  snaw,  WuIIie. 

In  his  dispK)sition  was  a  great  deal  of  good  nature  and  resig- 
nation ;  he  had  a  contented  face,  and  took  his  meat  well  to 
the  last ;  he  had  got  a  circle  of  friends .  about  him  that  he 
visited,  and  they  fed  him,  but  had  the  weather  been  bad,  and 
he  not  able  to  get  out  to  see  them,  he  was  then  ill  enough 
off,  as  he  hoarded  up  nothing  at  home. 

The  worthy  family  oi  Drumore  were  extremely  kind  to  him, 
and  let  him  want  for  nothing  they  could  furnish  him  with ; 
he  was,  perhaps,  the  best  beggar  that  ever  tried  the  trade, 
for  he  always  got  plenty  of  food  and  clothes  without  asking 
for  them ;  and  when  a  kimmeringy  a  kirseningy  a  kirn  or  a 
weddingy  took  place  within  his  reach,  he  was  sure  to  smell  it 
out,  for  the  sake  of  catching  drops  of  his  favorite  luxury, 
whisky ;  and  about  the  nrw  year  time  he  was  often  carried 
home  to  his  cruey  on  a  hand-barrow,  just  mortal.  Tobacco 
he  chew'd  to  excess,  the  brew  of  which  ran  in  a  brown  rill 
from  either  unck  d  his  motiy  as  if  it  had  been  trikle ;  he  knew 
well  the  persons  who  keep'd  the  best  filled  splauhans  in  his 
part  of  the  country,  and  also,  wha  was  best  gien  d  a  chow ; 
nor  was  he  wanting  of  generosity ;  for  when  any  well-wishers 
filled  his  spleiichaHy  he  would  present  it  again  to  them,  to 
take  a  chew  in  return.  The  news  of  the  country,  or  the 
kintra-clashy  was  well  known  to  Bauldy,  and  he  turned  it 
to  his  advantage ;  all  messages  were  bandied  by  him  from 
house  to  house,  parties  were  set,  lads  and  lasses  appointed 
to  meet,  all  through  Bauldy.  In  this  respect  he  much 
resembled  the  celebrated  Eddy  Ochiltree.     Children,  where- 


BAU  BAU  55 

ever  he  went,  were  very  fond  of  him,  and  hung  on  by  his 
dickett  staff  and  coat  tails.  The  servant  wenches,  though 
were  often  very  much  displeased  with  him,  because  of 
his  questions,  and  his  opinions  of  them,  he  was  such  an 
accomplished  master  of  human  nature,  that  he  knew  exactly 
what  would  please,  and  what  not ;  these  girls  would  rather 
have  endured  any  thing,  as  a  banter  from  Bauldy;  his 
words  pierced  their  very  marrow,  and  made  them  shake  at 
the  centre. 

He  got  very  soon  acquainted  with  strangers,  and  with 
loungers  like  himself,  he  bore  the  bell — was  quick  at  detect- 
ing lies — he  knew  falsehood,  he  said,  by  its  very  unnatural 
sough  ;  he  never  cared  much  about  the  servants  of  any  house ; 
ay,  the  gude  man  and  the  gidde  wife  were  those  he  warmly 
inquired  after — he  had  wisdom  in  this  too . 

Praising  the  bairns  before  the  tnither's  face — this  was  too, 
one  of  his  unfailing  plans — saying  that  "  sic  a  ane  had  just 
the  bonny  een  of  its  mither,  for  he  minded  weel  what  they 
were  like  at  fairs  lang  syne — that  there  was  na  sic  a 
spangin  clever  hizzie  on  a'  the  kintra-side."  Politics  and 
newspapers  he  was  always  very  fond  of:  still  inquiring  at 
those  whom  he  thought  skilled  in  these  matters,  how  the  war 
was  coming  on,  and  how  that  "  fell  fallow.  Bonny,  was  skelpin 
through  ?  "  tlien,  if  he  was  told  "  that  there  lately  had  been  a 
great  stramash,  many  towns  sacked,  many  men  killed,  and 
so  forth,"  with  tobacco-sap,  dropping  brown  from  his  chin, 
he'd  exclaim,  aweei  an  hech . 

He  died  the  other  year,  in  the  parish  of  Kelton,  when  he 
was  above  eighty  years  of  age.  The  following  epitaph  on 
him,  was  one  of  my  boyish  crimes  : — 

EPITAPH. 

Come,  gather  roun,  and  laugh  or  grane, 
At  what  is  said  upon  this  stane, 
Bout  him  aneath't,  a  famous  ane, 

Wha's  name  was  Bauldy  Corson. 


56  BAU  BAW 

Gude  faith,  he  was  a  cheel  gie  rare, 
Bout  fortune  no  a  preen  did  care, 
Yet  fu*  and  merrily  he  did  fare, 

The  jovial  Bauldy  Corson. 

He  sang  and  drank,  and  damned  awa. 
For  virtue  cared  na  much  ava, 
Tell'd  tales  for  fun,  that  did  beat  a'— 

The  happy  Bauldy  Corson. 

Ye  wha  can  tak  a  bowsan  drink. 
Whan  that  your  purses  hae  the  clink, 
Upon  your  brither  here  come  think, 

And  weep  for  Bauldy  Corson. 

Ye  wha  are  unco  mim  i'e  mou, 
Wha  at  a  dram  do  snuff  and  grue. 
Mind  he  beneath  was  no  like  you. 

Despise  than  Bauldy  Corson. 

And  seem  to  say  he*s  gane  to  hell, 
Amang  his  friens  for  ay  to  dwell, 
Wha  kens  but  ye  a  far  waur  cell. 

May  get  than  Bauldy  Corson. 

What  wad  ye  say,  ye  holy  crew, 
Wha  goodness  ay  seems  to  pursue, 
If  he  was  blessed  aboon  you't  you. 

The  glorious  Bauldy  Corson. 

Wha  little  Bible  ever  read. 

Bout  preachers  ne'er  did  fash  his  head. 

Nor  learned  ought  but  nature's  creed. 

Enough  for  Bauldy  Corson. 

If  that  his  crimes  sometimes  were  great. 

His  heart  did  often  feel  that  heat. 

Which  made  it  sweet,  and  heavenward  beat. 

The  queer  chiel  Bauldy  Corson. 

But  let  him  sleep  nneath  the  sod. 
Soon  wi'  him  we'll  hae  our  abode. 
Than  may  our  sauls  flee  up  to  God, 

And  see  auld  Bauldy  Corson. 

Bawks — Jousts,  couples,  &c. ;  beams  for  holding  the  roofs  ol 
houses  steady. 

Bawks  o*  Lan — Pieces  of  land  the  plough  misses  in  ploughing 
it.  "  Lae  na  banks  in  gude  beer  lan,"  is  a  phrase,  meaning, 
that  in  telling  a  story,  to  dash  right  onward,  and  if  any  thing 
of  an  immodest  nature  seems  to  be  in  the  way,  to  stop  not 
for  it. 


BAW  BED  57 

Baws.— The  calves  of  the  leg. 

Bawsent. — Having  a  white  stripe  down  the  face ;  applicable 
chiefly  to  brute  animals.  Cows  with  this  mark,  or  horses, 
are  commonly  called  "  bawsiesT 

Bawtie. — ^A  fond  name  for  a  dog. 

Bawxter. — A  mighty  personage  of  some  kind  or  other.  When 
it  is  said  of  such  a  one,  that  he  **  beat  Bawxter,  and  Bawxter 
beat  the  de*il ; "  it  places  that  character  high.  Methinks 
this — Bawxter  is  Baxter,  who  wrote  that  well-known  religious 
book,  the  "  Saint's  Everlasting  Rest ;  '*  he  combats  in  it, 
with  strong  reasons,  the  devil,  and  may  be  said  to  overcome 
him  whiles,  which  may  have  raised  the  saying,  "That 
Bawxter  beat  the  de'iL" 

Beardin  the  Lasses. — The  art  men  have  of  rubbing  their 
beards  on  the  cheeks  of  the  girls ;  those  men  who  have  the 
stoutest  brush  are  the  best  bearders ;  it  does  not  answer  the 
cheeks  of  delicate  ladies,  but  country  girls  are  fond  of  it,  as 
those  who  can  beard  must  be  men — those  who  cannot,  are 
beardless  boys^  with  nothing  but  goarlin  hair  on  their  c/ta/ts, 

Beardocs. — Small  fresh-water  fish  with  beards. 

Beasenin. — That  fat  thick  matter  which  is  drawn  out  of  a 
cow's  udder  after  she  calves ;  when  boiled  it  becomes  excel- 
lent food. 

Beasties. — An  aflfectionate  name  for  brute  beasts ;  also  one 
for  vermin. 

Bebb. — ^We  are  said  to  bebb  ourselves  with  any  thing,  when  we 
fill  ourselves  too  ftill — the  tide  when  full  is  said  to  be  bebbinfu 
— the  word  comes  from  bibe^  the  Latin  and  English  word. 

Beck. — To  bow ;  to  be  ceremonious. 

Bedalu — A  grave-digger;  for  why,  he  "beds"  us  mostly 
«  all." 


58  BED  BEE 

Bedrall. — A  person  so  lame  or  disordered  that  he  is  obliged 
to  remain  constantly  a-bed. 

Bedridden. — We  are  said  to  be  bedridden  when  healthy  we 
sleep  long  in  bed,  and  when  we  get  up  are  not  refreshed ;  for 
we  have  overdone  nature  by  snoring  so  long;  we  have  insulted 
her  modesty;  we  have  rode  the  bed  so  long,  as  it  were,  that  the 
bed  has  got  the  upper  hand  and  rode  us.     Whence  the  name. 

Bedstock. — ^The  strong  frame  of  wood  which  runs  along  the 
front  of  a  bed.  "  Before  I  lie  in  your  bed,  either  at  stock  or 
wa,'*  as  the  old  song  says. 

The  following  lines  on  the  bed,  wrote  by  Benserade,  a 
French  poet,  and  translated  by  Dr.  Johnson,  I  still  think 
good — 

In  bed  we  laugh,  in  bed  we  cry, 
In  bed  we're  born,  in  bed  we  die, 
The  near  approach  a  bed  doth  shew 
Of  human  bhss,  to  human  woe. 

Bee. — A  small  hoop  of  either  brass  or  iron,  put  on  the  end  of 
sticks  to  hinder  their  splitting. 

Beek. — To  bask  ;  beeking ;  basking. 

Beel  or  BiEL. — A  shelter. 

Beelins. — Suppurations ;  bilious  tumours  in  the  flesh.  Those 
reapers  who  have  the  bad  luck  to  reap  ^*  thrisfy  corn 
are  troubled  very  much,  poor  souls,  with  "  beelin  thumbs; 
^^prods^^  otherways  ;  prickles  of  hawthorn,  when  ^^ picked  out 
7vf  preens  "  from  their  poisoned  cells  in  our  hands  and  feet, 
whiles,  are  eaten  by  the  kintra-folk ;  for  they  say,  "  eating 
the  prod  hinners  the  wound  to  beelJ^ 

Beer  Awns  and  Butter. — The  beards  of  beer  mixed  with 
butter.  When  those  creatures  called  ^^  Gian  Carlins^^  yfont 
to  meet  with  any  one  alone  on  hallotveen  night,  they  stuffed 
it  with  "  beer  awns  and  butter ;''  a  mixture  by  no  means  very 
agreeable  to  either  the  throat  or  stomach. 


»» 


»f 


BEE  BEE  59 

Beerbuntlins. — Birds  as  large  as  thrushes,  and  somewhat  like 
them  in  plumage ;  common  amongst  grain,  particularly  beer, 
when  growing ;  it  is  from  this,  and  because  they  are  of  the 
buntin  species  of  birds,  they  have  their  name ;  they  are  not 
good  flyers ;  and  they  keep  their  feet  hanging  when  they  fly, 
like  young  or  wounded  birds. 

Beerfey. — Anciently  the  best  piece  of  land  about  a  farm. 
This  was  the  craft,  the  only  place  that  received  a  spoonful  of 
manure — the  only  place  where  it  was  thought  beer  would 
grow. 

Bees  in  the  BRAiN^^^-People,  after  they  have  been  "fou," 
feel,  as  they  are  returning  to  their  wits  again,  a  bizzing  and 
"singin"  in  the  head,  which  are  called  the  bees  d  the  brain  ; 
also,  when  they  are  getting  intoxicated,  they  feel  these  fanci- 
ful insects. 

Bees-skeps. — Baskets  made  of  straw  and  briers,  as  houses  for 
bees  ;  when  a  hive  needs  one  of  these  mansions,  it  is  rubbed 
with  green  leaves  and  old  honey  in  the  inside ;  then  peeled 
sticks  are  put  across  it  to  support  the  combs,  and  a  standard 
post  down  the  middle.  And  if  this  work  is  done  before  the 
hive  needs  it,  the  people  say,  ^^  they'll  no  need  it  that  year,  as 
bees  like  nought  done  a  forran*^  Sometimes  rascals  of  bee- 
men  set  "  toom-skeps  "  in  their  gardens,  to  allure  other  people's 
hives  into  them.  Such  characters  never  thrive  though  on 
a   "  kintra-sideJ^ 

Bee-stanes. — Stones  in  the  form  of  a  sector,  to  set  bee-hives  on. 

Beet. — To  add  fuel  to  a  fire ;  taken  figuratively,  to  add  to 
what  needs  little  addition. 

Beetle. — A  wooden  implement  with  a  round  heavy  head  ;  the 
pestle  of  the  "  kitchen,"  used  for  "  champing  "  potatoes  and 
other  purposes.  Some  large  farmers  have  four  beetles  play- 
ing away  in  the  "  meiklepot^'  when  cooking  food  for  their 
reapers,  playing  away  all  at  once. 

Beets  o'  Lint. — Sheaves  of  green  flax. 


6o  BEE  BEL 

Beeyards. — Apiaries  for  bees.  Quarry-holes  fronting  the 
south  make  the  best  bee-gardens. 

Beggar  Bodies. — Beggars. 

Beggar  Plaits. — Cresses  in  the  skirts  of  garments.  Beggars' 
weeds  are  frequently  plaited  this  way,  from  their  lying  and 
sitting  on  them  ;  hence  the  name. 

Beggar's  Bed. — The  bed  kept  in  farmers'  banis  for  beggars. 

Bexxjar's  Owreword. — An  old  song  called  the  beggar-man's 
owreword  runs  this  way — 

Through  the  streets  o*  Auld  Reekie  a  beggar  stravaged, 

And  a  merry  auld  beggar  was  he, 
Though  his  breeks  and  his  plaidy  were  baith  unco  raggeil, 

He  could  laugh,  he  could  dance,  ay,  and  relish  a  spree. 
When  he'd  meet  wi  a  gentleman  fat  and  weel  bagged. 

His  honour  he'd  cr'ae  for  a  single  bawbee ; 
And  say,  while  his  hat  on  his  staff  he  outwagged, 

A  wee  things  a  help^  as  the  wran  said, 
IVhan  she  gaed  ance,  and piifCd  V  the  sea, 

A  little  and  little  to  meikle  soon  rises, 

Tis  the  high  way  to  riches  we  see, 
To  be  adding,  and  adding,  our  purse  soon  surprizes, 

Tho'  the  lump  at  the  first  be  scarce  worthy  a  flee. 
And  this  is  the  way  too  our  reason  advises, 

If  we  wad  hae  wisdom  look  gleg  wi  the  e'e, 
A  thousan  times  better  than  siller  the  prize  is; 

So  than  let  us  claught  it  degree  by  degree ; 
For  a  wee  things  a  help,  as  the  reran  said, 

IVhan  she  gaed  ance,  and  pished  f'  )he  sea. 

Beggar's  Staffs. — These  staffs  are  known  from  all  others 
by  their  greasy  sleekness.  Irishmen  speak  of  the  juice  of 
a  "  beggar-man's  staflf  j"  it  is  likely  there  is  such  a  thing. 

Begnet. — A  bayonet. 

Begoud. — Began. 

Bein. — ^Snug  ;  warm  ;  happy,  &c, 

Beink. — A  long  form  or  seat. 

Belli  ban. — A  band  of  leather  or  what  not,  which  is  made 
to  pass  under  the  bellies  of  horses,  while  each  end  is  made 


BEL  BEN  6 1 

fast  to  the  shafts  of  the  cart,  to  hinder  them  mounting  when 
the  cart  is  a  loading. 

Bellibuchts. — Curious  hollows  in  the  sides  of  some  hills,  not 
running  in  the  longitude  way,  as  hollows  mostly  do,  but 
the  contrary. 

Bell-towlin. — Bell  tolling.     The  ringing  of  the  bell. 

As  the  fool  thinks, 
The  bell  clinks. 

This  old  snatch  has  truth  in  it.  Whittington,  the  cele- 
brated man  with  the  cat^  thought  the  Ix)ndon  bells  rang 
his  wish ;  and  so  did  Bell  Allan,  At  first,  hopeful  girl ! 
she  thought  the  bell  said. 

Ting  towlin — Bell  Allan, 

as  a  warning  for  her  to  listen  \  then  it  sounded  respecting 
her  lovers, 

"  Awa  Peter  Busby, 

**  And  a'  thy  kith  and  kin  ; 
*•  I'll  follow  Robin  Fisher 

*•  Through  thick  and  thin." 

Belly-flaucht — Belly-broad. — When  any  person  falls  bdly- 
flaucht^  it  means  a  fall  on  the  broadest  part  of  the 
belly. 

Belly-timmer. — Any  kind  of  very  strong  food  is  so  termed, 
as  porrage,  sowings,  brose,  &c.,;  such  plank  the  kytc^  as  it 
were,  with  durable  timber,  or  ^^  dag  to  the  ribs^'  as  the 
saying  is. 

Belton. — The  third  day  of  May. 

Bemmle.  — A  bad  ill-shaped  man ;  a  bad  walker. 

Ben. — The  innermost  room  of  a  house. 

Be  naething  the  louder. — A  common  curling  phrase.  It 
is  used  as  a  direction  given  to  a  player — the  which  is  to 
throw  his  stone  so  that  it  may  gently  hit  another  stone, 
and  displace  it  a  little,  but  not  to  give  it  any  additional 
force  on  that  account,  more  than  if  he  were  not  to  hit  it. 


62  BEN BEN 

He  is  not  to  give  it  prnvder^  and  shove  all  to  lochhead  of 
desolation,  but  simply  to  hrak  an  egg. 

Bengairn. — A  lofty  mountain  in  Galloway.  There  is  little 
remarkable  about  it  It  was  one  of  the  stations  of  the 
trigonometrical  surveyors ;  and  from  its  top  on  a  clear  day 
three  or  four  kingdoms  may  whiles  be  seen,  if  we  consider 
the  Isle  of  Man  as  one.  It  is  about  three  thousand  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  sea, 

Benjie. — The  name  for  Benjamin. — Two  lovers,  Benjie 
and  Phemie,  figure  in  a  song.  It  may  here  be  given  by 
the  way. 

PHEMIE  AND  BENJIE. 

Ay  just  awa's  ye  cam'  Benjie, 

Straught  out  owre  the  hill ; 
For  never  will  thy  clavers,  Benjie, 

Through  my  heart  gae  thrill. 
Whan  I  was  poor,  ye  bar'd  ye*r  door, 

And  didna  care  for  me ; 
Now  fain  ye  wad — Benjie  lad, 

I  canna  suffer  thee. 

0  dinna  tell  me  sae,  Phemie, 
Ye  hae  better  sense ; 

1  lo'ed  ye  many  a  day,  Phemie, 

Or  ye  gat  the  pence. 
Do  ye  no  min*  the  ball  sae  fine, 

Whar  ye  did  partner  me? 
And  the  wud  sae  eay,  whar  mony  a  day 

I  leamcd  nits  wi  thee  ? 

That's  a  mere  clatters,  Benjie, 

Ye  ne'er  lo'ed  me  ava. 
Let  me  dress  as  I  wad,  Benjie, 

In  my  best  sae  braw — 
My  poplin  gown,  wi*  tnmmin'  roun' 

which  sae  weel  fitted  me. 
Ne'er  drew  your  e'e  the  least  ajec — 

I'se  no  be  fash'd  wi'  thee. 

Wi'  than  I'll  just  awa,  Phemie, 

Ein  out  owre  the  burn. 
There  try  gif  I  can  stay,  Phemie, 

And  nae  mair  return. 
Try  to  forget  thy  hair  o'  jet. 

And  bonny  blinkin  e'e ; 
There  feci  distress  for  happiness, 

Because  I  ha'e  na  thee. 


BEN  BES  63 

Feel  what  ye  please  there,  Benjie, 

But  ne'er  thy  fancy  crowd 
\Vi*  joys  that  wives  will  bring,  Benjie, 

Wives  wha  ha*e  the  gowd. 
Gae  af  thy  wa's,  and  herd  the  craws : 

Thou'rt  far  frae  being  slee, 
Wha  ken's  but  yet,  that  I  may  get 

Nae  better  lad  than  thee. 

What's  this  ye  tell  to  me,  Phemie  ? 

I'm  na  up  to  this. — 
O  tell  me't  owre  again,  Phemie — 

Tell  me  wi'  a  kiss. 

0  what  is  this !  O  what  is  bliss ! 
How  kine  thou  art  to  me  ! 

Now — now — ye  tell,  ye  lo'e  mysell 
As  dear  as  I  lo'e  thee. 

And  wha  cud  lo'e  thee  ill,  Benjie  ? 
That  was  never  me ! 

1  onlly  meand  to  try  ye,  Benjie — 
Now  thy  heart  I  see. 

Whan  I  was  low  thou  wert  my  Joe, 

Aneath  the  greenwud  tree : 
Now  I  shall  share  Fortune's  fare, 

My  Benjie  dear,  wi'  thee. 

Bennles. — Things  dry  and  brittle,  as  reed. 

Bensle. — A  bleak,  cold  place.  A  place  where  the  frost  wind 
finds  easy  admittance.     Also  a  person  with  a  saucy  air — as 

much  thinking  that  he  does  not  care  a  d n  for  the  world. 

We  say,  sic  afallou*  gangs  wf  a  great  bensle^  or  has  on  a  great 
bensle, — He  passes  the  poor  with  a  sneer,  and  capsizes  the 
infirm  with  a  laugh — his  bosom  is  a  bleak  place,  a  bensle, — 
cold  unfeeling  blasts  whistle  round  his  frozen  heart. 

Bent. — The  open  fields. 

Benty-grass. — Coarse  grass,  which  grows  in  marshes. 

Bessie. — A  name  for  Elizabeth. 

Best  man. — The  male  friend  a  bridegroom  selects  to  attend 
him  through  the  season  of  marriage.  Commonly  this  "  best 
man  "  is  considered  by  the  bridegroom  his  "  best  crony  "  when 
he  rambles  the  country  to  invite  to  the  wedding.  This  chief 
man  attends  him  when  he  is  about  to  take  the  hand  of  the 
bride  in  the  marriage  ceremony.     This  man  stands  beside 


64  BEU BIG 

him,  and  ungloves  the  hand.  This  man,  so  highly  favoured, 
attends  him  too  at  the  "  kirken  ";  and,  on  the  whole,  is  often 
as  happy  looking  as  the  bridegroom.  Widows  choose 
widows,  and  sometimes  married  men,  for  their  ^^best  men^' 
never  pitching  on  any  of  the  unmarried. 

Beuk— Book.     The  Bible. 

Beust. — Grass  two  years  old.  Having  stood  through  winter, 
it  is  withered.  Is  there  a  Galloway  farmer  who  does  not 
know  what  a  tuft  d  beusty  grass  is  ?  Not  one.  And  I  hope 
now  that  all  my  readers  are  as  knowing,  as  to  that  question, 
as  them. 

Bevel — Off  the  perpendicular.  A  wall  made  to  lean  in  is  said 
to  be  beveled  so. 

Beverage. — The  first  sweets  of  any  thing.  When  a  young 
girl  gets  any  piece  of  new  dress,  she  slyly  shows  it  to  her 
yoe^  who  gives  her  a  kiss,  which  is  taking  the  bn^erage  of 
the  article  in  question.  And  when  he  gets  any  thing,  they 
kiss  again,  which  is  giving  the  beverage.  The  bridegroom 
takes  the  bei^erage  of  his  bride  by  kissing  her  the  instant  the 
marriage  ceremony  is  over;  but  if  any  other  person  be  so 
nimble  as  to  have  a  kiss  before  him,  that  person  gets  the 
beverage. 

BiBBLiN. — Weeping  and  sobbing. 

Bicker. — A  wooden  bowl. 

Bickerin. — Making  quick  motions.  One  running  fast  is  said 
to  bicker.  One  fighting  fast  is  also  said  to  bicker^  from  such 
I  infer  the  meaning. 

Bide. — Abide. 

Big. — Build. 

Biggin. — A  hut. 

BiG-ON. — A  term  at  the  game  of  channelstone,  much  used 
by  my  worthy  and  social  friend  Drumnwre.  If  a  stone 
lies  near  the  cock,   and  guarded,   yet   thought   to  need   a 


BIL  BIL  65 

double  guard,  if  not  a  triple.  The  order  from  that  side 
who  has  ///  the  stone,  is  commonly  to  big-on — to  guard 
away — to  "  block  the  ice^  And  the  command  of  the  other 
party  is  mostly,  when  things  are  in  this  situation,  to  come 
up  UfV  a*  the  powther  Vthe  horn  and  waken  the  guards. 
Old  wary  curlers,  however,  take  a  different  plan.  They 
won't  waste  stones  on  the  guards.  They  sail  them  past 
the  sentinels,  nigh  wutter  length,  obtains  a  Inring,  plays 
on  it,  and  not  unfrequently  drives  out  the  winner,  thought 
by  t'other  side  to  be  even  almost  too  secure. 

Bill. — The  bull — the  king  of  the  byre.  Black-coloured  bulls  with 
"  wee-lugs  "  are  those  most  thought  of  by  Galloway  farmers. 
Black  is  the  favourite  colour  for  cattle  over  all  the  country. 

BiLLHiPPiE. — An  ox  with  bull-hipps.  Such  animals  please 
not  the  squeamish  eyes  of  cattle-dealers.  I  once  heard  one 
of  these  valuable  characters  say,  that  a  billhippic  was  fit  to 
damn  a  drove. 

BiLLHUiK. — An  hedge  bill. 

BiLLiLUE. — See  Whillilue. 

Bills  eag. — An  old  bull  castrated. 

BiLLATORY. — A  name  for  a  restless  bull. 

Billy. — To  make  a  noise  as  oxen.  These  billy,  when  they 
smell  the  blood  of  their  kind,  the  whole  herd  gather  round, 
with  vengeance  in  their  eyes,  and  tear  up  the  ground.  Bulls 
on  such  mighty  occasions,  are  the  most  forward,  and  lead 
on  the  furious  concert 

Billy  Bell. — This  is  rather  an  out-of-the-way  little  song. 

BILLIE    BELL. 

Hech  !  how !  Billie  Bell  ! 

Whar  hast  thou  been  wandering  ? 
Up  in  heaven,  or  down  in  hell  ? 

Ye  beat  the  deil  for  dawn' ring. 

Hast  thou  got  a  hizzie  yet, 
To  streek  down  by  thy  side,  Billie  ? 

Or  canst  thou  no  ava,  man,  get 
Ane  to  be  thy  bride,  Billie  ? 
E 


66  BIL  BIL 

I  ha*c  a*  hame  daughters  sax — 
Wilt  thou  come  and  see  them,  Billie  ? 

And  gin  ane  o'them  thou 'It  aux, 
Tse  be  na  ill  t*thee,  Billie. 

I'll  gi'e  to  thee  a  bonny  cow, 

Gm  ihou'll  tak  my  Nannie,  Billie, 
Ane  Crommie  wi*  a  brocket  mou'. 

And  they  ca*  her  brawnie,  Billie. 

But  gin  thou' It  no  fancy  her. 

And  ratherest  wad  ha'e  Meg,  Billie, 
A  less  tocher  maun  her  ser* 

Twa  grey  geese  and  a  Steg,  Billie. 

Or,  if  thou  better  likes  the  e*e 

O*  my  wee  Jeany,  Billie, 
My  turkey-cock  I'll  gi'e  to  thee. 

And  the  breeding  Peanie,  Billie. 

As  for  my  Tibbie,  Nell,  and  Kate, 

]  ha'e  nought  to  gie  them,  Billie, 
But  my  blessing  air  and  late  : — 

Sae  come  awa  and  see  them,  Billie. 

Billy  Marshall. — The  famous  Gallo vidian  gypsey,  or 
tinkler.  He  was  of  the  family  of  the  Marshall's,  who 
have  been  tinklers  in  the  south  of  Scotland  time  out 
of  mind.  He  was  a  short,  thick-set,  little  fellow,  with 
dark  quick  eyes;  and,  being  a  good  boxer,  also  famous 
at  the  quarter  staffs  he  soon  became  eminent  in  his 
core ;  and  having  done  some  wonderful  trick  by 
which  he  got  clear  off,  he  was  advanced  to  be  the 
chief  of  the  most  important  tribe  of  vagabonds  that 
ever  marauded  the  country.  The  following  was  that 
trick : — He  and  his  gang  being  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Glasgow  when  there  was  a  great  fair  to  be  held  in  it, 
himself  and  two  or  three  more  of  his  stamp,  having 
painted  their  faces  with  keel,  they  went  to  the  fair  and 
enlisted,  getting  each  so  much  cash.  They  then  deserted 
to  their  crew  in  the  wild  mountain  glen,  leaving  the 
soldiers  without  a  single  cue  whereby  to  find  them. 
For  all,  Billy  once  really  took  the  bounty,  joined  the 
army,  and  went  to  the  wars  in  Flanders ;  but  one  day 
he  accosted  his  commanding  officer,  who  was  a  Galloway 


BIL  BIL  67 

gentleman,  this  way  :  "  Sir,  ha'e  ye  ony  word  to  send  to 
your  friends  in  Scotland  at  present?"  "What  by  that?" 
returned  the  officer,  "  Is  there  any  person  going  home  ?  " 
"Ay,"  continued  Billy,  "  Keltonhill  fair  is  just  at  hand. 
I  ha'e  never  been  absent  frae  it  since  my  shanks  could 
carry  me  to  it,  nor  do  I  intend  to  let  this  year  be  the  first." 
The  officer,  knowing  his  nature,  knew  it  would  be  vain  to 
try  to  keep  him  in  the  ranks,  so  bade  him  tell  his  father 
and  firiends  how  he  was ;  he  also  gave  him  a  note  to  take 
to  his  sweetheart  So  Marshall  departed,  was  at  Keltonhill 
fair  accordingly,  and  ever  after  that  paid  much  respect  to 
the  family  of  Maculloch,  of  Ardwell. 

It  is  not  my  intention  to  give  a  lengthened  portrait  of 
this  character,  as  one  of  the  above  family,  who  personally 
knew  him,  has  done  this  for  me,  and  much  better  than  I 
could,  in  Blackwood's  Magazine.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that  the 
Corse  d  Slakes  was  a  favourite  haunt  of  his.  There  did  he 
frequently  way-lay  the  unwary,  and  sometimes  deprived 
them  of  both  life  and  purse.  Billy's  gang  were  seldom  ever 
beat  by  any  others.  When  they  met  at  fairs,  he  generally 
drove  all  before  him ;  for  the  Irish  took  up  with  him  from 
Down  and  Deny, — ^and  who  can  overcome  them  at  the 
handling  of  the  stick  ?  To  those  country  Cock  Lairds  who 
were  kind  to  him,  he  would  do  them  no  injury,  but  all  the 
good  in  his  power ;  whereas,  those  who  were  his  foes, — Billy 
was  upside  with  them. 

He  would  not  have  cared  to  have  taken  up  lodging — he 
and  his  core — in  one  of  these  gentlemen's  kills — to  have 
purloined  the  greater  part  of  the  poultry,  and  roasted  them 
with  the  wood  of  the  roof  of  said  kill —  to  have  there 
staid  a  week,  perhaps,  in  spite  of  every  body — gone  away 
at  his  own  time — and  left  a  world  of  desolation  behind 
him.  It  was  in  one  of  these  scenes  that  he  drank.  May 
flier  waur  be  amang  us — a  toast  that  can  be  construed  in 
many  shapes.     Thus  did  he  flounder  on  through  a  long  life. 


68  BIL  BIL 

When  he  got  old,  his  people,  though,  in  a  great  measure, 
forsook  him. 

It  seems  that  he  had  both  the  good  and  bad  qualities 
of  man  about  him  in  a  very  large  degree.  He  was  kind, 
yet  he  was  a  murderer — an  honest  soul,  yet  a  thief — at 
times  a  generous  savage — at  other  times  a  wild  Pagan. 
He  knew  both  civil  and  uncivilized  life — the  dark  and  fair 
side  of  human  nature.  In  short,  he  understood  much  of 
the  world — had  no  fear — a  happy  constitution — was  seldom 
sick — could  sleep  on  a  moor  as  soundly  as  in  a  feather- 
bed— took  whisky  to  excess — died  in  Kirkcudbright  at 
the  age  of  120  years — was  buried  there  in  state  by  the 
Hammer-men,  which  body  would  not  permit  the  Earl  of 
Selkirk  to  lay  his  head  in  the  grave,  merely  because  his 
Ix)rdship  was  not  one  of  their  incorporated  tribe.  Such 
was  the  end  of  Billy  Marshall,  a  brother  of  Meg  Merri- 
less. 

BILLY  MARSHALL'S  SONG. 

Merry  ha'e  I  been  making  a  cutty, 

And  merry  ha'e  I  been  making  a  spoon. 
Merry  ha'e  I  been  courting  a  bonny  lass, 

Merr)'  ha'e  I  been  whan  I  had  dune. 

Sorry  ha'e  I  been  whan  I  was  drubbit, 

And  mad  wi'  mysell  whan  my  noddle  was  sair ; 

Mony  a  time  ha'e  I  sworn't,  and  ha'e  broken't, 
That  wi'  the  aik  kibblings  I'd  never  fight  mair. 

Dnmkensome  aft  ha'e  I  been  at  Kirkcubrie, 

And  at  Auchencaim  I  ha'e  aften  been  fu* ; 
And  wi*  my  Meg  Lundy,  baitli  week-day  and  Sunday, 

Wi'  skihing  we've  bebb'd  oursells  till  we  wad  spue. 

Fifty  fat  baimies  now  I  ha'e  gotten. 

The  wanton  sweet  hizzies  war  ay  fond  o*  me ; 

Wi'  them  I  wad  row  on  the  burn-banks  sae  sunny, 
Bargallie  kens  wecl  1  had  monyn  spree. 

Sac  here's  to  the  glens  growing  thickly  wi'  hazles. 

Ay  here's  to  days  I  will  never  see  mair ; 
And  here's  to  the  tinklers,  wallets,  and  cuddies, 

Whilk  (ladjcll  ilk  year  to  braw — Keltonhil-fair. 


BIL BIL  69 

The  following  song  too  is  thought  to  have  been  ranted  in 
Billy's  core : — 

Whan  Jock  and  me  war  married,  we  war  a  happy  twa, 

We  laugh'd  thegether  a*  the  day,  and  kiss'd  the  night  awa; 

Sae  thick   and   thrang,   or   it  was   lang,   the   bairnies    round    did 

squeel. 
And  Jock  and  me  the  nappie  lo'ed — sae  a'  gaed  to  the  de'il. 

We  had   twa  kye,    we  pawn'd  them   baith,    the   sty  we  cleared, 

and  a' ; 
Our   cocks  and  hens  too,   by  my  faith  !    and  wadding  braws  sae 

braw; 
We  drank  like  fish  frae  caup  and  dish,  fu'  cantily  atweel, 
But  wullawuns  wi'  tinklers  now — we  dawner  to  the  de'il. 

I  lead  ae  weanie  in  my  han',  there's  twa  upon  my  back ; 
My  spa  wis  ha'e  ne'er  a  hoshen  now,  my  pouches  ne'er  a  plack ; 
My  gudeman  fallows  after,  wi'  the  cuddy,  powks,  and  keel : 
It's  alter'd  days  wi'  us.     How-hum  I  we're  a'  gaen  to  the  de'il. 

But  gin  my  auntie  K.ite  was  dead,  and  hidden  i'  the  mools, 
My  Jock  and  me,  again  shall  be,  a  pair  o'  ranting  fools  ; 
Than  we'll  can  clash,  about  our  cash,  and  dress  frae  head  to  heel  ; 
For  we  shall  heir  her  pursikie,  in  spite,  man,  o'  the  de'il. 

Than  we'se  fling  down  the  hampers,  and  dance  a  merry  jig  ; 
My  Jock  will  crack  his  whup,  and  sing,  and  birl  me  in  a  gig. 
We'll  lash  awa,  and  dash  awa,  and  drink  like  mad  and  breel ; 
For  what  the  hell  cares  Jock   and   me,   tho'  we   should   gae   tae 
de'il. 


EPITAPH  ON  BH.LY  MARSHALL. 

Weel  tinkler  Billy,  here  you  are, 
The  king  ance  o'  the  core,  man ; 

We  wat  ye  were  a  kettle  rare, 
Whan  ye  did  see  sax  score,  man. 

O  brawly  ye  could  clour  a  croon. 
And  make  a  nose  play  gush,  man ; 

Ye  like<l  weel  to  bleach  a  loon — 
Your  cudgell  was  na  frush,  man. 

Gude  faith,  ye  were  na  joke  ava 

Amang  yer  randy  lasses ; 
And  cheels  wha  did  the  ramhorns  thraw, 

Wi'  a'  yer  cuddy  asses. 

The  whisky  just  in  noggin-fu's, 
Ye,  'ihout  a  howst,  cud  slot,  man ; 

Ye  were  na  ane  wha  boaks  and  spues, 
And  brashes't  up  the  throat,  man. 


70  BIL BIN 

Sae,  Billy,  rest  thy  crazy  banes. 

Thy  soul,  belike's  in  hell,  man ; 
We  only  guess  that  there  it  granes, 

For  wha  the  de'il  can  tell,  man  ? 

Yet  if  ye're  got  to  the  right  shore, 

Ye  may  be  unco'  glad,  man ; 
For,  counting  ilk  infernal  splore, 

Sma'  was  the  chance  ye  had,  man. 

The  duddy  de'ils,  in  mountain  glen, 

I^menteth  ane  and  a'  man ; 
For  sic  a  king  they'll  never  ken. 

In  bonny  Gallowa,  man. 

BiLT. — A  short  thick  man. 

BiLTAN. — Moving  with  the  air  of  a  thick  short  man. 

BiNKED-SHOON. — Shocs  which  were  at  first  too  laige  for  the 
feet  that  were  to  wear  them,  and  the  leather  naturally  bend- 
ing inwards,  they  become  at  last  too  small — full  of  "  binks  *' 
or  bends. 

BiNN. — A  man  of  strong  binn  is  a  man  strongly  built  and 
bound — crop  of  good  binn  is  a  good  strong  crop. 

BiNwuD — Wood-bine.  I  once  tried  my  hand  at  song-making, 
and  produced  the  " Binwud  Tree^^  which  I  here  give  with 
great  deference — shewing  forth  what  a  modest  and  wonderful 
poet  I,  the  youth,  am — who  will  be  a  beau  before  my 
granny  yet. 

Sing  hey  for  the  Binwud  tree, 

O  !  sing  how  for  the  Binwud  tree  ; 
For  there  the  lads  and  the  lasses  wad  meet. 

And  daff  'neath  the  Binwud  tree. — Chorus, — 

There  did  Jock  and  his  Mally  Malinn 

Meet  aften  thegither  awee. 
And  tho'  the  jade  had  an  unco  din  skin, 

It  grew  white  *neath  the  Binwud  tree. 

Sing  hey,  &c. 

There  Maggie  wha  swore  she  detested  the  men, 

Kiss'd  wi'  Tammy  the  Peanerflee ; 
His  whushers  fu  straught  to  her  heart  gaed  ben,  • 

As  they  lay  'neath  the  Binwud  tree. 

Sing  hey,  &c. 


BIN BIR  71 

O  !  mony  hied  there  a  sprogan  ateen. 

Wham  few  wad  expect  to  see, 
Wi'  bonny  red  cheeks  and  blinking  e*en. 

And  courd  'neath  the  Binwud  tree. 

Sing  hey,  &c. 

For  it  grew  in  a  neuk  by  yon  bonny  bum  side, 

Adown  i'  the  flowery  green  lee ; 
And  the  mavis  she  lilted  wi'  meikle  pride, 

I*the  bowers  o'  the  Binwood  tree. 

Sing  hey,  &c. 

But  there  cam  a  pizioness  blast  frae  the  south, 

And  destroy'd  a*  our  e'ening  glee ; 
O !  custom  genteel — is  the  devil  in  trouth, 

It  has  wallow'd  the  Binwud  tree. 

Then  sing  hey  for  the  Binwud  tree. 

And  sing  how  for  the  Binwud  tree  ; 
For  there  the  lads  and  the  lasses  wad  meet, 

And  daff  'neath  the  Binwud  tree. 

BiRKENSHAW. — A  sunny  place  of  all  kinds  of  brushwood,  a 
poet's  country;  there  they  roam  unseen  amang  the  Birks 
and  yellow  broom,  and  tune  their  pipes. 

BiRKiE. — A  would-be  gentleman. 
BiRKY. — A  rustic  game  at  cards. 
BiRL. — To  whirl. 

BiRL  THE  Bawbee. — Sport  the  cash  for  drink,  is  so  termed ; 
also  halfpennies  are  tossed  up  at  the  beginning  of  some 
games,  to  learn  what  side  has  the  right  first  to  play ;  this  is 
called  " Birlin  tht  Bawbee'' — See  more  of  this  article  under 
the  title  Heads  or  Tails, 

BiRND-MARKS. — Marks  made  by  burning.  Sheep  are  so 
seared  on  the  side  of  the  nose  with  red  irons,  that  the 
owners  may  know  them. 

BiRNS. — Burned,  or  ratherly  chared  heather — the  spikes. 

Birr. — Whirr. 

BiRSES. — The  bristles  of  swines'  manes. 

BiRSEY. — Full  of  bristles. 

BiRSLE. — ^To  bristle. 


72  BIR BLA 

BiRST. — A  little  person  full  of  impudence. 
Bit. — A  small  piece  of  any  thing. 

BiTTS. — Those  jointed  pieces  of  iron  which  are  put  in  horses 
mouths  of  course,  but  used  allcgorically  in  the  country  for  a 
dram  of  whisky  on  certain  occasions.  When  a  man  is  wet 
and  trembling  with  cold,  give  him  a  canker^  and  you  take 
the  bitts  out  of  his  mouth. 

/[///  ye  no  tak  the  bitts  out  d  my  mouth  the  day^  is  a 
common  phrase  by  those  who  long  to  have  drink  from  their 
neebours  when  they  meet  on  market-days  in  Clauchans,  and 
after  much  hargle  barreling  is  gone  through,  a  gill  is  decided 
on,  so  the  i)arty  slide  slowly  and  diffident  into  the  yill- 
house. 

Bizz — Buzz.  Hair  all  tossed  on  end,  is  said  to  be  in  a  bizz ; 
this  comes  from  "  Frizz^'  the  English  word. 

Black  a  viced. — Of  black  complexion ;  probably  this  comes 
from  ''^  Black  afaced^ 

Blackbides. — Blackberries.  This  term  for  that  fruit  not  very 
common. 

Black  Douglass. — Perhaps  the  greatest  villain  ever  kno>Mi 
in  Galloway ;  his  den  was  the  castle  of  Thrave,  a  befitting 
keep  for  the  tyger  ;  he  keep^d  the  country  round  him  in  awe 
for  many  a  day  ;  even  the  Scotch  kings  could  make  nothing 
of  him.  He  caused  Lord  Kirkcubrie,  M'Lellan,  to  be 
hanged  by  a  rope  from  a  projecting  stone  in  his  castle  wall, 
yet  to  be  seen,  and  took  his  dinner  calmly  while  his  hang- 
men were  doing  so.  Some  say  he  was  "  durked "  in  Annan- 
dale,  but  how  he  came  by  his  death  is  uncertain ;  however 
he  did  not  die  a  natural  death.  More  or  less  particulars  of 
the  wTctch  may  be  known  by  peeping  into  any  book  almost 
which  treats  of  Scottish  anti(iuities. 

Black-leg. — A  kind  of  murrain  or  plague  amongst  cattle. 
The  disorder  for  common  seizes  first  on  one  of  the  hind 
legs,  and  this  leg,  when  the  animal  dies,  (which  is  in  less 


BLA BLA  73 

than  twenty-four  hours  mostly  from  the  time  struck)  is  of  a 
black  colour;  whence  the  name.  Sometimes  they  are 
touched  first  with  the  distemper  in  the  eye,  and  other  parts 
of  the  body.  Young  cattle  are  more  subject  to  it  than  old  ; 
and  it  is  always  the  best  of  the  flock  that  die,  though  all 
perish  that  take  it,  there  being  no  cure  as  yet  found. 

Plans  for  preventing  it  are  practised — bleeding,  purging, 
what  not ;  these  plans  are  often  attended  with  good.  Too 
old  pasture  is  thought  to  be  nothing  in  favour  of  it,  and  all 
allow  that  it  is  highly  infectious. 

Black  Morrow. — WTio  this  man  was,  baffles  all  antiquaries. 

Tradition  has  him  a  ^^ BiackimorCy'  and  says  he  haunted 
the  forests  south  of  Kirkcudbright ;  a  natural  wood  there 
is  yet  called  the  "  Black  Morrcnv  Wud "  ;  there  he  stopped 
during  the  day,  sallying  out  on  the  neighbouring  country 
at  night,  and  committing  horrible  outrages.  Also,  that 
having  found  his  retreat,  which  was  beside  a  cool  spring, 
in  the  dark  forest,  yet  called  the  ^^  Blackimore's  IVall^  a 
barrel  of  spirits  was  brought  by  the  people,  and  poured 
into  the  spring  well  one  night  when  he  was  out  on  his 
rambles.  Next  day,  having  drank  of  the  fountain,  as 
usual,  he  became  touched  with  the  grog,  and  fell  asleep, 
snoring  profoundly ;  his  foes  then  rushed  on  him,  like 
the  Philistines  on  Samson,  and  "  dirked  his  heart  wV  mony  a 
deedly  hoUr 

So  goes  tradition — but  my  opinion,  if  it  be  worth  any 
thing,  is,  that  he  was  no  ^^  BiaMmore ;"  he  never  saw 
Africa ;  his  name  must  have  been  **  Murray ; "  and  as  he 
must  have  been  too  an  outlaw,  and  a  bloody  man — gloomy 
with  foul  crimes — ^^ Black''  prefaced  it,  as  it  did  Black 
Douglass^  and  that  of  others  ;  so  he  became  Black  Murray. 
Antiquarians  say  the  sum  of  50/.  was  offered  by  the  king 
for  his  head,  dead  or  alive. 

That  one  of  the  APLellans,  of  Kirkcudbright,  took  to 
the   wood   single-handed,   with   a  dirk,   found    the    oudaw 


74  BLA BLE 

sleeping,  and  drove  it  through  his  head.  With  the  cash 
he  bought  the  estate  of  Barmagauchm,  in  Borgue;  the 
foundation  of  the  "  head  on  the  dagger "  in  the  M'Lellan's 
coat  of  arms. 

Black-pish-minnies. — Black  pismires. 

Black  Soles. — ^An  assistant  courtier.  A  male  messenger 
between  a  man  and  his  love.  There  is  a  meanness  in  any 
man  working  with  such  characters ;  it  shews  he  has  not  a 
soul  to  dare  to  speak  to  a  woman,  nor  a  heart  to  love  one. 

Black  Wunter. — The  name  for  the  last  of  the  crop  brought 
in  from  the  fields.  The  harrester^  whose  lot  this  job 
is,  takes  as  good  care  as  he  can  to  avoid  its  being  generally 
known,  until  he  has  it  done ;  as  if  it  be,  the  others 
assail  him  with  all  filth  for  bringing  in  such  a  sad  thing  as 
black  wtmter, 

Bladderskyte. — A  silly  foolish  person,  as  easy  ^^skyied^' 
aside  as  a  "  bladder,'' 

Blae. — Blue,  or  light  blue. 

Blae-berries. — Billberries. 

Blae-bows. — Blue  flax  bells ;  the  flowers  of  flax. 

Blaidry. — Foolish  chat. 

Blart. — The  noise  which  any  broad  thing  makes  falling 
amongst  sludge  or  mortar. 

Blashy-wather. — Wet  stormy  weather. 

Blastie. — Any  ill-disposed  youth. 

Blatter. — To  talk  fast ;  to  rattle. 

Blauds. — Broad  pieces  of  any  thing. 

Blaw. — Blow  ;  to  puff*  any  thing. 

Blaw  o*  the  Pipe.—  A  whiff*  of  the  pipe. 

Bleck. — A  blackguard  ;  a  "  kintra-cooser." 

Blecks  amang  Wheat. — Milldew. 


BLE  BLI  75 

l^LEDNOCH  Water. — The  chief  river  in  the  shire  of  Galloway 
or  Wigtownshire ;  it  runs  through  a  fertile  track  of  country  ; 
it  is  a  fine  fishing  stream ;  and  where  it  falls  into  Wigtown 
Bay,  at  Innerwall,  good  salmon  are  caught.  There  are 
traces  where  ancient  battles  have  been  fought  on  its  banks  ; 
and  some  warm  fancies  have  the  river's  name  from  "  Bied- 

Bleech. — ^A  stroke. 

Bleer  E'ed. — Having  ^ore  eyes;  dim  with  tears  and  dried  tears. 

Bleeze. — A  blaze ;  also  to  blazon. 

Blellum. — An  ignorant  talkative  fellow. 

Blibbans. — Ribbons  of  any  kind  of  slimy  matter. 

Blichan. — A  person  useless  for  any  thing. 

Blin — Blind. 

Blinbarnie — Blindharry.     The  game. 

Blinchamp.  —A  very  singular  rustic  game  ;  when  a  bird's 
nest  is  found,  such  as  a  Corbies  or  Hoodicraw^Sy  or  some 
such  birds  that  the  people  dislike,  the  nest  is  herried^ 
that  is  to  say,  the  eggs  are  taken  out  of  it,  and  laid  in  a 
row  a  little  from  each  other  on-  the  grass ;  one  of  the 
players  has  then  something  bound  over  the  eyes  to  blind 
them,  a  stick  is  put  in  his  hand,  so  he  marches  forth  as 
he  thinks  right  to  the  egg-row,  and  strikes  at  it;  another 
tries  the  champing  after  him  until  they  thus,  blindfolded, 
break  them  ;  hence  the  name  blincliamp. 

Blink. — To  wink. 

Blinked  Milk — Milk  distasted.  It  gets  so  in  warm  sultry 
weather,  the  heat,  as  it  were,  ferments  it  Gude  7viv€s 
have  it  fired^  but  the  origin  of  blinked  is,  that  it  is  witched  j 
blink d  at  by  a  foul  ie, 

Blin-mens-baws — A  kind  of  dried  fungi,  or  mushroom ; 
being  balls,  as  it  were,  of  a  fine  dark  brown  dust ;   this 


76  BLI BOA 

dust  is  doubtless  blinding  to  the  eyes,  hence  the  name ; 
they  are  common  on  the  pasture  fields  during  summer  and 
harvest,  particularly  if  the  weather  be  dry;  when  they  are 
young,  they  are  white  inside  and  out  like  other  mushrooms, 
yet  detested  by  "  catchup  brewers "  for  reasons  best  known 
to  that  "  valuable  "  tribe. 

Blinnie. — A  person  mimicating  the  blind. 

Blirt. — The  exterior  of  a  mare^s  uterus. 

Block  the  Ice. — A  curling  term,  the  same  with  ^^  big-on" 
to  block  up  with  guards  the  run  of  the  stones,  so  that  none 
of  them  may  take  out  a  guarded  winner. 

Bluchans. — Little  salt-water  fish,  about  the  size  of  Burn  trouts. 

Bluchtans. — Pieces  of  the  dried  stem  of  the  mugwort ;  they 
are  hollowed  tubes  :  boys  blow  haw-stones  and  what  not 
through  them  ;  hence  the  name. 

Blue  Boys. — Bad  boys. 

Blue-Gowns. — Old  soldiers,  with  a  "/a^j"  for  begging; 
they  got  a  blue-gown  and  a  shilling  Scots,  for  every  year 
of  the  king's  age ;  there  are  none  of  them  now  wandering 
the  country.  Eddie  Ochiltree  will  hand  them  down  to 
posterity. 

Bluester. — A  bully  of  words. 

Blumf. — A  stupid  loggerhead  of  a  fellow,  who  will  not 
brighten  up  with  any  weather,  who  grumfs  at  all  genuine 
sports,  and  sits  as  sour  as  the  devil,  when  all  around  him 
are  joyous. 

Blunner  Boar. — A  blundering  fool.  • 

Blurr. — To  blotch  the  paper  with  ink  when  wTiting. 

Blushions. — Bulbs  of  water ;  blisters  of  the  flesh. 

Bluti'er. — A  foolish  man,  rather  of  the  idiot  stamp. 

BoACK. — To  vomit. 

Boaf. — A  name  for  a  foolish  dog. 


BOA  BOG  77 

BoAL. — A  square  niche  in  a  wall  for  holding  little  needfuls ; 
such  as  Grannies  specks,  and  cuttypipe^  with  the  bane- 
kame  and  single  carriges. 

Boas. — Any  thing  full  of  emptiness. 

BocHLE. — An  awkward  footed  female. 

B<:x;hi,es. — Old  shoes,  or  shoes  that  have  been  worn  by 
awkward  shaped  feet. 

Bode. — An  offer. 

Boddle. — A  small  Scottish  coin,  the  sixth  part  of  an  English 
penny,  and  the  half  of  a  Scotch  plack. 

Boddum.  — The  bottom. 

Bodies  o*Borgue. — The  people  of  the  parish  of  Borgue  ; 
so  called  by  the  natives  of  neighbouring  parishes. 

Bogg-bean. — The  trefoil  herb  of  the  marshes. 

BoGGiT. — Stuck  fast  as  in  a  soft  bog. 

Boggles. — A  general  name  for  all  beings  which  create  an 
earimess  in  man.  In  Scotland,  more  boggles  are  seen  and 
heard  of  than  there  are  in  all  the  rest  of  the  world ;  how 
this  comes  to  pass  may  be  difficult  to  define,  but  so  it  is. 
In  every  country  of  a  similar  form,  composed  chiefly  of 
hill  and  dale,  rocks  and  wild  mountains,  we  find  the 
natives  having  their  boggles ;  the  Welsh  and  Swiss  are  this 
way,  and  many  others.  But  what  have  they  in  comparison 
to  the  Scots  ?  what  are  their  knockers  and  reckers,  to  war- 
locks without  end,  worrico^as,  kelpies,  spunkies,  wraiths, 
witc/ties,  and  carlinesl  what,  a  mere  nothing— accounts  of  these 
supernatural  beings  will  appear  in  their  proper  order,  and 
show  that  the  Scots  are  a  nation  not  only  famous  for 
religion,  war,  learning  and  independence;  but  also  for 
superstition,  which  practically  proves  this  point  in  moral  philo- 
sophy, that  fear  attends  the  brave,  as  modesty  does  the 
worthy ;  and  in  proportion  as  the  intellect  is  weak  or  strong. 


78  BON  BON 

BoNELLO. — A  bon  aller  amongst  parting  friends.  These 
meetings  are  generally  merry  to  the  last,  they  are  then  ex- 
tremely sad. 

KIRRCORMOCK'S   BONELLO. 

Kirrcormock's  biyth  lairdy,  or  he  gaed  awa, 
To  fight  and  to  florrie,  through  wide  India, 
Invited  his  neebours  about  ane  and  a\ 

To  gi'e  him  a  merry  bonello. 

And  sure  it  wad  been  baith  a  sin  and  a  shame, 

For  ony  ava  to  hae  drunted  ahame  ; 

The  de'il  a  ane  did  sae,  fu*  gladly  they  came, 

And  breel'd  at  the  lairdie's  bonello. 

The  barmen  did  rattle  their  flails  ow're  the  bawks. 
The  millers  did  hushoch  their  melders  in  sacks. 
And  hung  the  best  braws  that  they  had  on  their  backs. 

To  flash  at  the  funny  bonello. 

The  hizzies  a  tramping  their  claise  at  the  bum, 
That  day  they  had  nathing  to  whine  'bout  nor  yum  ; 
In  their  bowies  wi*  barehochs,  they  plunged  their  turn. 

And  fluchter'd  about  the  bonello. 

The  mowdieman  cuist  down  his  petals  and  traps. 
The  herd  left  his  hirsle  amang  the  green  taps, 
And  the  milk-maid  she  scrubbed  and  scyringed  her  naps. 

And  hasted  awa  tae  bonello. 

For  sic  an  a  shine,  was  seldom  ere  seen, 
Auld  Scotlan'  did  vow  she  had  ne'er  wi  her  e'en 
Beheld  ought  to  match 'd  since  the  **  Kirk  on  the  Green/' 

'Twas  a  noble  conducted  bonello. 

In  the  welkin  fu*  hie,  the  moon  beamed  bright. 
Ne'er  a  clud  came  across  her  the  hale  o'  that  night  ; 
How  the  lasses,  fu'  charming,  did  skip  in  her  light, 

Up  the  glens  to  the  darling  bonello. 

And  mony  a  laddie,  wi'  bosom  sae  warm, 
Half  carried  his  dearie  alang  on  his  arm. 
For  the  hizzies  that  night,  the  frost-bitten  cud  charm, 

It  was  an  enchanting  bonello. 

The  hale  was  delightfu — the  binks  they  were  pang*d. 
Time  about  roun'  the  laugh  and  the  blether  ding-dang'd, 
Fowk  could  na  a'  sit  now,  were  they  to  be  hang'd, 

Sae  af  gaed  the  dance  and  bonello. 

What  huzzas  now  did  follow — the  kipplings  rang. 
On  their  taptaes  what  couples  did  jicker  and  spang. 
Whan  the  pipers  play'd  up,  how  they  fimmer'rl  alang. 

Heels  cracking  to  cheer  the  bonello. 


BON  BON  79 


The  mowdieman's  shoon  being  sparrable  paved, 

How  he  duner'd,  and  hooh'd,  and  thumped,  and  raved, 

While  the  stroods,  that  the  bannen  the  barley  wi*  kaved, 

Gaed  clampering  through  the  bonello. 

In  jugs  and  decanters,  and  noggins  and  kits, 
The  drink  it  did  circle,  and  mirth  took  her  fits ; 
Nae  glumfie  chiel  sat,  wi'  his  sneers  and  his  skits. 

Scrutinizing  the  famous  bonello. 

How  the  breasts  o*  the  bare-necked  lasses  did  heave — 
Round  pair  after  pair.  Love's  nets  she  did  weave, 
Frae  ither  fu'  easily  hearts  they  did  reave, 

O!  the  joys  o'  the  lovely  bonello. 

Thus,  wi*  dancing  and  drinking,  the  night  slided  by, 
Till  Sol,  wi'  his  gowd  gilt  the  Easilin  sky, 
And  mony  a  drunken  chiel  ouzily  did  ly, 

A  bumpling  wi'  the  bonello. 

Kirrcormock  himsell  was  as  fou'  as  a  witch, 
He  danced  till  his  lisk  was  beset  wi'  a  stitch. 
For  a',  while  his  shanks  after  him  he  cud  hitch, 

He  keep'd  up  his  glorious  bonello. 

Sair  wauchled  the  hizzies  were  or  they  gat  hame ; 
Some  seemed  in  a  dalldrum,  yet  fu'  o'  game  ; 
And  twa'r-three  moons  after  did  swaul  i'  the  wame, 

Wi'  hougheling  at  the  bonello. 

For  the  sake  o'  auld  Scotlan,  sae  every  gude  chiel, 
Wha  meaneth  to  lae  her  sud  tak  his  fareweel  ; 
Or  else  wi'  a  vengeance  be  flung  to  the  de'il, 

And  in  hell  baud  his  cursed  bonello. 


BoNSPiEL. — The  highest  game  at  curling — the  chief  spieL 
When  one  parish,  for  instance,  challenges  another  to  play 
it,  at  the  famous  Scottish  game  of  curling,  or  channiestane, 
that  bout  on  the  ice  is  called  a  bonspiel.  The  best  players 
on  these  occasions  are  selected  to  play,  and  when  not  only 
their  own  honour,  but  that  of  their  parish  is  at  stake,  they 
do,  or  at  least  strive  to  do,  their  very  best ;  though  often 
good  players  are  put  into  such  a  flutter  at  these  times, 
that  they  lose  the  steadiness  of  their  han\  and  play 
badly  :  those  who  keep  unmoved  amid  the  crowd,  and 
pay  no  attention  to  either  damns  or  huzzas,  play  always 
best.       The    parishes    of   Borgue,    Sorby^    and    CloseburUy 


8o  BON BON 

rank  amongst  the  first  of  the  curling  communities  in  the 
south  of  Scotland. 

Sometimes  cock-Iairds  challenge  other  to  fight  a  bon- 
spieiy  and  often  these  concerns  turn  out  to  be  wars  in- 
deed. The  following  poem  depicts  a  broolzie  of  this 
nature : — 

THE    BONSPIEL. 

In  Auld  Scotlan'  whan  winter  snell 

Bin's  up  the  fosey  yirth, 
Than  jolly  curlers  hae  a  spell, 

O'  manly  fun  and  mirth  : 
Whanerc  the  ice  can  har'ly  bear 

Ahame  lie  hurkling  nane, 
Wha  likcth  independant  cheer, 

And  can  a  channel -stane 

Owrhog  that  day. 


But  whiles  our  grand  peculiar  game. 

Which  ithers  .1'  surpasses ; 
Is  hurt  by  Gomfs,  weel  worth  the  name, 

Vain  bullieing  senseless  asses : 
Akin  tae  them  brave  Hallions  twa. 

Laird  Nurgle  and  I^ird  Nabble, 
'Bout  wham  I  mean  tae  croon  awa. 

Or  like  a  wilesteg  gabble 

A  while  this  dav. 


Their  habits,  tempers,  a'  are  bad. 

They're  saucy,  glunchy,  greedy  ; 
Lan'  they  alike  ay  nearly  had. 

And  tenants  starving  needy  : 
For  far  abroad  they  baith  were  bred, 

Sae  are  o'  kindness  scarce  av, 
A  savage  life  they  lang  had  letl, 

And  lash'd  puir  Massa's  arsie 

On  mony  a  day. 


To  curling  they  d'd  baith  pretend, 

Sae  challeng'd  ane  anither  ; 
Their  farming  slaves  a  han'  maun  lend. 

And  neither  whinge  nor  swiiher  ; 
Twall  on  a  side,  the  place  Ix)ch  Lum, 

The  rink  just  forty  ell  ; 
The  bet  a  puncheon  o'  gude  rum. 

Upon  the  ice  ilsell, 

Fu'  fu'  that  day. 


BON  BON  8  J 


And  'ere  they  did  the  play  begin, 

Ilk  stamock  gat  a  cauker, 
For  nane  did  think  it  was  a  sin 

Most  bonnily  to  tak  her. 
Ahin  the  quickly  toomed  glass. 

How  the  wee  finger  twirled, 
Than  up  in  air  a  bawbee  was, 

For  heads  or  tails  hie  birled 

To  lead  that  day. 


Laird  Nurgle  had  that  triffling  luck, 

Sae  his  first  player  led  ; 
llie  stane  to  his  direction  stuck, 

But  by  the  cock  it  fled  ; 
At  which  b^[an  to  fidge  the  laini. 

And  muttering  to  blame  him  ; 
Laird  Nabble's  man  na  better  fared, 

For  Nabble  loud  did  damn  him. 

At  first  that  day. 


**  Lay  your  stone  right  upon  the  tee, 

**  My  sickar  handed  fellow  ; 
**  My  broom,  if  you're  not  blind,  ye  see," 

Fat  Nurgle  now  did  ycllo'. 
The  trimling  player  stells  his  tramps 

\Vi'  mony  a  stamping  stog  ; 
Af  gangs  his  stane,  and  ay  it  clamps, 

But  hoh  portule,  a  hog — 

It  grunts  that  day. 


What  language  now  frae  Nurgle  fell, 

His  phiz  had  on  a  horrid  thraw  ; 
What  oaths  he  let,  ne'er  heard  in  Hell, 

Warm  frae  the  Gulph  o'  Florida. 
Lean  Nabble  than  gaed  out  the  word — 

**  Be  white  ice  to  the  witter  ; 
**  You're,  ye  are  not  worth  a  t — d, 

•*  Ye  seem  tae  hae  the  sk r, 

"  Or  bloit  this  day. " 


O  !  was  na  that  a  darling  game, 

And  worthy  imitation  ; 
Ye  wha  do  understand  the  same, 

Ye  standards  o'  our  nation — 
Had  they  been  on  Loch  Duddingston, 

And  no  Loch  Lum,  we're  thinking, 
Few  ends  indeed  they  wa.i  hae  thrown, 

But  aff  been  hissed  linking, 

Fu'  fast  that  day. 
F 


82  BON BON 


Whanere  a  Scotchman  turns  a  slave 

He  is  na  worth  a  hoddle ; 
Before  the  brave — below  a  knave 

Will  cringe,  they'll  want  the  noddle. 
Though  there  are  some,  we're  wae  to  tell» 

Feet  soles  are  fond  o'  licking, 
Will  stick  to  tyrants,  even  to  Hell, 

And  bear  their  sneers  and  kicking 

Frae  day  to  day. 


But  still  the  bonspiel  drives  awa, 

The  ice  was  weak  and  slagie  ; 
The  stanes  wad  scarce  gang  up  ava, 

ITiey  grew  sae  unco  clagie. 
Ill  nature  pued  do^*'n  every  brow. 

The  lairds  they  swore  and  choked  ; 
There  common  sense  did  loit  and  spue, 

And  wisdom  aften  boked 

Wi'  a  brash  that  day. 


Thus  frothing  on,  ilk  noble  side 

Wi*  blustering  wan  a  game  ; 
A'  corked  were  alike  wi   pride, 

A  Gomeril's  near  the  same. 
This  minute  was  a  bullierag. 

And  that  a  blue  erruction  ; 
At  length  did  burst  the  meikle  bag 

Which  caused  the  destruction 

O*  the  spiel  that  day. 


As  Nurgle  raved  about  the  cock, 

A  stane  came  up  the  rink. 
And  hit  his  heel  a  canny  shock, 

On  that  wV  joy  we  think — 
For  down  he  whurled  upon  Ix)ch  Lum, 

Some  crawing  cockaleerie  ; 
And  span  awhile  upon  his  bum 

Like  Toutom,  or  queer  pecrie, 

Al>out  that  day. 


But  sprachling  up  a  madman  now . 

See  how  he  lays  about  him  ; 
I^inl  Nabble  cudna  see  his  crew 

Abused — never  doubt  him. 
A  battle  general  began, 

Wi'  brooms  and  neives  they  lingeil, 
And  niony  a  wee  bit  foolish  man 

Was  getting  himscU  swinged 

In  siilc  thnt  ilav 


BON  BOR  8. 


Till  hah  !  the  lochen  gaed  a  rair, 

And  af  in  blavvds  divided  ; 
Down  sank  the  gows  amang  the  glaur. 

Or  else  the  water  lided. 
Yet  han'  in  han'  they  reached  dry  Ian', 

Up  to  the  chin  w^eel  cooled  ; 
Then  hame  puir  draggled  cuifs  they  ran, 

Magnificently  fooled. 

And  dub'd  that  day. 


Dear  social  honest  countrymen, 

Ixjt  despots  never  dinnle 
Your  manly  bosoms — for  will  then 

Nae  pleasure  through  them  trinnlc. 
I  )etest  those  sooking  turkey-cocks, 

For  ever  jibing,  jeering, 
And  heed  as  little's  yon  grey  rocks, 

Their  guldering  domineering 

On  ony  day. 


B(X) — To  make  a  sound  like  bulls.  These  animals  make 
three  kinds  of  noises,  expressed  by  the  words  booing^ 
crooning^  and  billieing.  Two  Galloway  priests,  once  passing 
a  fellow  who  was  good  at  flinging  everything  into  rhyme — 
(juoth  the  one  to  the  other,  "  I  hold  ye  a  sixpence. 
Clinking  Charlie  will  be  beat  with  what  I  say  to  him?" 
Done,  says  the  other:  so,  when  they  passed  the  poet, 
the  priest  held  out  his  finger  at  him,  sounding  boo,  when 
the  man  of  clink  instantly  returned — 

'  *  Mr.  Scott  and  Mr.  Boyd 
**  O*  wit  and  learning  they  are  void  ; 
"  For,  like  Billjock  amang  the  kye, 
They  boo  at  fowk  as  they  gae  by. " 


<( 


It    is   needless   to   add,   that  the   clergymen   slunk    away, 
somewhat  offended  at  the  retort  of  Clinking  Charlie. 

BooNMOST — Uppermost. 

Boost — Must. 

BoRGUE — One  of  the  most  singular  and  celebrated  parishes 
in  the  south  of  Scotland,  and  one  too  of  the  very  best  that 
is  to  be  found  in  any  country.  The  following  j^oem,  by  an 
old  bard  of  the  name  of  Hackston,  iK'longing  to  the  said 


84  BOR BOR 

•  parish,  I  here  give,  altered  somewhat  of  course  to  suit  my 
own  foolish  taste,  and,  perhaps,  partly  wTOte  by  myself^ 
as  my  muse  is  quite  ready  with  her  aid,  when  anything 
occurs,  poorjade^  that  she  can  help  me  too — 


THE  PARISH  O'  BORGUE. 


Blest  be  the  bard  wha  can  twine  out  his  lays 
To  any  grist,  in  thae  great  twining  days  ; 
Wha  can  plait  cables,  whan  he  has  the  thread, 
Within  the  haums  o*  his  uncommon  head  : 
Can  send  his  muse  to  India  for  a  time. 
To  wallow  sweetly  in  that  luscious  clime 
'Mang  ladies,  harams,  and  delicious  flowers. 
Melodious  groves,  and  lovely  vernal  showers  ; 
Or  up  amang  the  duds,  the  clever  wench. 
Far  frae  yirth's  beauty,  or  her  unco  stench, 
To  step  about  amang  the  stams,  and  see 
A  thousan'  queer  things  wi'  her  gledgin*  e'e  ; 
Car'  takin  tho'  to  keep  in  sight  o*  hame. 
For  fear  some  hule  might  scare  her  flight  to  fame, 
And  ow're  a  comet's  tail  gae  lay  and  skelp  her. 
Without  ane  being  near  at  han'  to  help  her. 

For  me,  I  care  na  tippence  whar  we  go, 
Whether  tae  lift,  or  fumart  holes  below  ; 
Whether  to  bonny  isles  ayont  the  sea, 
Alall  ydlies  Hallan^  or  the  Brig  o*  Dee^ 
Whar  Brumstane  Dallies  fired  a  peat-stack. 
And  burnt  a  pedlar  ance  to  get  the  pack  ; 
Aroun  the  moon,  or  Muncrai^s  gurly  shore, 
Whar  pasper  grows,  and  slavering  pellocks  snore  ; 
Whar  Connel  fell  and  brake  his  neck  and  scull 
Ane  Sabbath  day,  when  berrying,  lucky  Gull, 
Adown  the  heugh  the  chiel  reel'd  a'  to  brash — 
His  banes  and  eggs  met  an  unwelcome  crash. 

Enow,  tho'  Borgue,  my  muse  wi*  pith  and  glee, 
Means  thee  to  croon,  for,  faith,  thou  pleaseth  me  ; 
And  I've  heard  singing  'bout  some  spout  or  bum. 
Perhaps,  nae  better  than  our  ain  Pttlhvhum  ; 
'Bout  hills  and  tomacks  too,  faith,  by  the  gross. 
Perhaps  na  bonnier  than  the  Mool  or  Ross  ; 
W^i  shores  and  caves  whar  gurly  wuns  do  bio', 
As  by  Nockbrax  and  ancient  Carlines  co\ 
O  !  famous  parish  for  the  Broums  and  SprbalSy 
The  like  o't  s  na  on  this  side  John  o'  Groats. 
True  honest  chiels  and  merry  bunts  o'  lasses, 
I've  tooted  wi'  ye  mony  whusky  glasses, 
Spent  mony  a  happy  day  amang  ye  trouth. 
And  ay  ye  hac  keep'd  me  sai>])ie  'IkuU  the  mouth. 


BOR BOR  85 

There's  Blair  0'  Seiiwick^  what  a  darling  cheel, 
May  he  ne'er  feel  the  clutches  o'  the  De'il; 
For  weeks  thegether  he  has  keep'd  me  swimmin 
In  Hollan  gin  wi'  him  how  aften  raemin. 
Auld  MiUdroch  too,  I  wuss  him  ay  fu'  hale, 
At  the  sawih  Uggft — mony  a  worthy  tale 
We  twa  hae  gat,  and  cracking,  drunk  our  fill 
O'  hame  made  maut  and  sometimes  trickle  yill, 
While  auld  Matninriy  the  hule  for  clubbing  lees, 
For  nursing  flowers,  and  skepping  hives  o  bees, 
Sat,  like  a  sage,  aside  the  chimlew  lug. 
And  fancied  queer  things  owre  the  faeming  jug. 
The  Deacon's  an  uncouth,  but  clever  fallow. 
He  is  na  dult,  gude  faith,  he's  nae  way  shallow. 

And  at  the  Ross,  wi'  yawcking  Johnif  Dmvall^ 
And  Manksmen  gabbling  frae  the  nianor-hoU  ; 
What  naggins  hae  we  drank  o'  smuggled  rum. 
Just  hot  frae  aff  the  Isle  d  three  legs  come. 
^xcjoach  cheers  me,  it  cows  ought  ere  I  foun', 
Except  the  lovely  blinks  o'  Mary  Cun  ; 
Sweet  Mary,  shining  wi'  a  thousan'  charms. 
The  loveliest  saul  ere  lay  in  Hackstands  arms ; 
What  happy  hours  upon  the  buesty  grass 
O'  Camiehill  I  hae  towzled  wi'  my  lass. 

Borgue  lads  delight  to  marry  lasses  bonny. 
Yet  scorn  to  gang  frae  hame  to  seek  for  ony ; 
They'd  tak  a  sister  o'  their  ain,  by  Jove, 
Afore  they'll  through  anither  parish  rove  : 
Sae  blest  am  I  gets  ane  as  bright's  the  sun, 
Without  gaun  far  the  Iwnny  Mary  Cun. 
Nae  Sillar  sawnies  on  the  Borness  shore 
Can  sparkle  like  the  e'en  dang  Ilackston  owre  ; 
Nae  waving  tangle,  at  low-water  mark. 
Can  match  her  hair  for  shading  light  and  dark ; 
Nae  sleek  wee  cobbles,  gn  the  wave-washed  beach, 
Beshape  her  bosoms — that  they  canna  reach ; 
But  bletherin  this  way's  unco  silly  fun, 
For  nought  on  yirth  to  me's  like  Mary  Cun; 
But  e'en  thout  her,  auld  Borgue  I  wad  adore, 
Ay,  every  rummling-kim  about  its  shore: 
Tho',  my  dear  Mary,  i'the  mirkest  night, 
Maks  me  run  far,  to  hug  my  lassy  tight. 
The  Plunton  Castle  howlets  wild  may  cry. 
And  ghaists  alx)ut  Barrloch,  yawp — **  Hackston  fie," 
Cullraven^ s  auld  gibb  cats  eternal  mew, 
Mossnefs  ten-headed  gomf  might  come  in  view. 
And  ilka  collie  after  me  might  run, 
Hackston  should  see  his  deary  Mary  Cun. 

O !  Mary  Cun  and  Borgut  to  me  are  dear, 
And  shall  be  sae  while  alive  can  steer  ; 
Whan  I  am  dead,  may  they  their  hoary  bard 
Clap  i'the  mools  o'  Srnicick's  lane  khk-yo/d: 


86  1K)R  BOS 

Aside  the  auld  giule  friens  wha  mony  a  day 
Took  pity  on  my  haffets  growing  grey. 
And  at  my  head  set  up  an  auld  sea  sclate, 
\\V  thae  words  on't,  coined  in  my  curious  pate — 
**  Here  Hackston  lies,  Bori^ais  lonrat  mony  a  year 
**  Without  his  saul — whar's  it,  we  canna  hear  ; 
•'  He  liked  rhyme,  was  fond  o'  the  wee  drap, 
**  And  now  he  sleeps  as  sound  as  ony  tap." 

But  why  thus  talk,  whan  I'm  a  sturdy  man 
I'll  aff  tae  chieftain  curlers  on  Nockann^ 
And  see  the  fun,  the  pith  o'  mcikle  banes, 
Sends  whunnering  up  the  rink  the  channel-stanes, 
I'll  ablins  get  a  dram  o'  whusky  there. 
Syne  I'll  be  crouse  as  ony  tipped  hare. 
Kirkcubricy  Twinholm^  Girthott^  canna  craw, 

Borgu€  bids  them  kiss  her ,  she  beats  them  a' 

At  bonspiels,  ay,  o'  what  a  shilpet  crew. 

Sic  pewtring  bodies,  curse  me,  ne'er  I  knew  : 

Come  never  here,  ye  druken  hallion  Sloarty 

Wi'  a'  your  flum,  let  us  in  Borgue  alone ; 

Borgue  is  a  pure,  a  spotless  lawland  clan, 

Chain'd  heart  and  hand  thegether  man  and  man : 

Nae  grubbing  strangers  here  dare  cock  their  nose, 

Puir  bodies  may,  tho'  she  be  kind  to  those, 

Wi'  ony  ithers,  soon  she  is  insulted, 

Forbes  can  fley  them,  faith,  frae  out  the  pulpit. 

Wi'  faces,  ay,  as  white  as  ony  starch, 

They  wad  be  joustled  clean  out  owre  the  march, 

For  mang  our  clints  and  hags,  and  rashy  bogs, 

Chiels  do  appear,  can  claw  a  fallow's  lugs  : 

A  glorious  squad  they  are,  baith  one  and  a', 

They're  no  hauf  matched  in  a'  wild  (Jallowa  : 

While  Hackston  doth  their  sprightly  baimies  teach, 

While  Forbes  can  like  ony  stentor  preach  ; 

W^hile  bonny  lasses  in  the  Boreland  thrive. 

And  nowt  in  Semvick  Parks  can  southward  drive ; 

While  Samuel  Cloon^  in  Ross  can  sit  fu'  cross. 

While  i^eats  are  got  in  Plunton^s  glaury  moss  ; 

While  craws  at  Barma^iachin^  yearly  big, 

And  lasses  at  the  kirk  look  unco  trig, 

Borgue  shall  be  famous  throughout  auld  Scotland, 

Her  woo^  and  hinnit  never  left  on  hand. 


BoRGUE-HiNNiE — BoFgue  honcy.  This  article  is  of  such  good 
quality, ^hat  the  fame  of  its  excellence  spreads  far  and  wide. 
In  London  there  is  a  sign,  with  Borgue  hinnie  for  a^r^  wrote 
on  it. 

Boss — A  fat  consequential  man. 

Boss  IE— Bosom. 


BOS BOW  87 

Bou— To  bend. 

BoucH — One  of  a  curr-dog's  barks. 

BouTGATE — A\Tien  a  plowman  starts  from  one  latiden  or  headn'g, 
plows  to  the  other,  and  returns  to  where  he  broke  off,  he  is 
said  to  have  gone  a  boutgate ;  as  also  the  distance  which 
mowers  can  go  at  a  sharps  or  with  one  sharping  of  the 
scythe.     This  is  also  termed  a  boutin  or  boutgate, 

BouKiN  Linen — Boiling  linen  webs  with  lees,  in  order  to 
lay  them  out  to  bleach. 

BouLS — The  bended  handles  whereby  several  vessels  are 
moved  anyAvhere. 

BowEROCK — An  huddled  lump  of  any  thing.  Big  on  to  the 
bowcrcocky  a  term  at  curling,  and  means,  to  direct  the  stone 
to  where  a  number  are  already  laid. 

BowERTREE-PUFF. — An  hollow  tube  made  of  Boretree,  used 
by  kili-men  to  blow  through,  and  rouse  their  seed  fires,  or 
nres  fed  by  the  husks  of  corn. 

Bowie — A  washing-tub. 

Bowk  A  XL — Cabbage. 

BowLHivE — ^A  deadly  distemper,  common  amongst  infants. 

BowLOCH — A  person  with  ill-shaped  legs. 

Bowls — Basons  of  a  small  size,  made  of  earthen  ware. 

BowT — An  iron  bolt 

BowT. — To  start  up  suddenly  is  to  bncft  up ;  as  a  person, 
when  come  up  to  the  surface  again,  after  plunging  beneath 
water.  This  word,  and  the  English  "boyant"  are  one 
and  the  same. 

Ik)W-W(nv — A  (log's  bark,  when  he  first  smells  strangers. 

BowzE. — A  set-to  for  some  time  at  eating  and  drinking. 


88  BOW  BRA 

BowziE. — Looking   fat   like.     A  man  is  said  to   be   so   that 
fills  his  waiscoat  well. 

BoYTOCH — A  thick  short  little  animal ;  bad  at  walking. 

Bra  or  Braw. — Well  dressed  :  neat. 

Brack. — A  break. 

Brack  an  Egg. — A  curling  phrase,  given  by  the  directors 
of  the  game  to  those  about  to  play ;  and  means,  that 
they  are  to  strike  a  stone  with  their*s,  with  that  force 
that  it  would  break  an  egg  between  them  at  the  point  of 
contact 

Brae. — The  brow-side  of  a  hill. 

Brag  and  Pairs. — A  rustic  game  at  cards. 

Bragwort. — Mead.  A  fermented  liquor,  made  from  honey : 
a  7aor/  that  can  drag  all  others  for  being  so  good.  Hence 
the  name  bragwort.  After  the  bees  are  smtdked  in  the 
Jiinharrest  time^  the  gude  wife  takes  the  kaimes  out  of  the 
skep^  and  lets  the  hinny  drop  out  of  them  before  the  fire ; 
when  this  is  done,  she  takes  these  combs  or  kaimes  and 
steeps  them  in  water.  This  water,  warmed  and  quickened 
with  bartn,  composes  bragwort.  It  is  an  extreme  sweet  and 
pleasant  drink ;  when  put  in  bottles  it  is  apt  to  break 
them.  That  person  is  a  particular  favourite  in  that  house, 
when,  by  making  a  call,  he  is  treated  with  a  draught  of 
bragivort.  If  he  be  a  young  man  of  fair  character,  looking 
out  for  a  wife,  and  this  house  be  a  place  where  fair  dames 
are,  he  is  sure  to  taste  bragwort.  It  may  be  called  with 
propriety  the  "  lover's  drink." 

Braiggle. — Any    old,  unsafe   article — as    a    large  gun  with 
a  large  lock. 

Braird. — Com  as  it  appears  above  the  ground  a  little  after 
it  has  been  sown,  when  it  begins  to  "  beard." 


BRA  BR^\  89 

Brairded-dykes. — Fences  bearded  with  whins,  thoms,  or  other 
brushwood,  to  hinder  cattle  from  getting  over  them. 

Brallion. — An  unwieldy  man. 

Brange. — To  kick,  to  plunge,  and  knock  things  to  desolation, 
like  a  mad  horse. 

Branks. — Old  wooden  bridles,  also  a  disorder  of  the  neck. 

Branner. — A  brander. 

Brash. — A  watry  fit  of  sickness. 

Brashloch. — Rubbage. 

Bratchie. — Indian  rubber.  That  elastic  gum  which  comes 
from  the  Indian  tribes,  used  for  defacing  the  marks  of  wadd, 
or  black  lead. 

Brats. — Aprons ;  also  rags ;  also  children  in  rags. 

Bratt. — ^The  scum  of  any  fluid. 

Brattle. — To  rattle. 

Braun. — An  old  boar. 

Bravely. — Very  well. 

Brawchton. — Any  thing  weighty  and  unwieldy. 

Brawd. — Any  large  rude  article. 

Brawly. — The  same  with  bravely. 

Brawnet. — ^A  colour  made  up  of  black  and  brown,  mostly' 
relating  to  the  skins  of  animals.    A  "  nowt  beast  o*  a  brawnet 

•  colour  "  takes  a  south-country  man's  eye  next  to  that  o'  the 
"  slae  black." 

Braws. — Dresses.  The  grandest  of  these  are  generally  farthest 
"  ben  "  the  wardrobe.  Hence  we  say  of  any  one  when  we 
see  them  more  gaudy  than  usual,  that  the  "  boddom  0'  the  kist 
has  been  a  looking  at ." 

Braxy. — A  disorder  prevalent  amongst  sheep,  and  in  general 
a   very  fatal   one.     The    animal   soon   dies  after    infected. 


90  liRA BRA 

and  there  is  no  cure  for  it  as  yet  discovered  that  can  be 
said  to  avert  the  evil.  Sheep  in  good  condition  are  those  it 
makes  great  havoc  of.  That  kind  of  weather  with  hoar 
frost  after  rain  is  the  worst  for  it ;  shepherds  then  are  sure 
to  have  much  mortality  amongst  their  flocks.  Braxy  is 
a  malady  attended  always  with  an  abominable  stench. 
Strangers  unused  to  it  cannot  for  some  time  suffer  it  at  all. 
Their  smelling  organs  will  not  endure  it ;  and  much  longer 
are  they  in  bringing  themselves  to  be  able  to  eat  the  flesh 
of  the  poor  animals  who  perish,  let  it  be  boiled,  stewed, 
roasted,  or  any  way  .dressed.  All  the  spice  in  the  world  will 
not  keep  down  the  noxious  smell.  The  braxy  effluvia  keeps 
still  uppermost :  the  daught  predominates.  In  truth,  it  is 
not  a  very  wholesome  food.  Those  feeding  much  on  it 
become  blotched,  and  not  unfrequently  are  troubled  with 
that  filthy  disease,  the  yaws. 

Braxy-hams. — The  hams  of  those  sheep  which  die  of  the 
braxy.     When  the  herd  finds  any  of  his  flock  dead  of  that 
distemper,  if  they  can  stand  three  shakes — that   is   to   say, 
if  they  be  not   so  pu trifled  or  rotten   but   that  they   can 
stand  to  be  thrice  shaken  by  the   neck  without  falling  to 
pieces — then  he  bears   them  home   to  his  master's  house 
on   the  braxy  sfulty.     What  of  the   carcases   can   then   be 
ham*d,  are  done,  and  the  rest   of  the  flesh   made  present 
use  of  by  the  family.     The  hams   thus  cut  out  are   hung 
up  in  the  smuiky  brace,   until   they  are   quite   dry.     They 
are  then    bound    in  bunches,    like    so    many    hare-skins, 
and  suspended  on  nags  and  clicks,  in  convenient  parts  of 
the  roof  of  the   kitchen,   and    used    now    and    then    for 
very    singular    purposes.     As    for   instance,    when   a  club 
of   burn    trout  fishermen,   or  one   of    viuirfule    sportsmen 
come  the  way  of  the  house,  they  are  hospitably  entertained 
at  table  with  plenty  of  braxy  hatn,  and  other  dainties ;  for 
the  natives  of  the  moors  are  a  kind  people,  and  generally 
keep  what  is  understood  by  a  fu'  house.     Now  I  am  not 


BRA }]RE  91 

sneering  at  present ;  but  honestly  saying,  that  a  male  o'  sic 
foody  washed  down  by  a  few  glasses  oi  peat  reek,  or  tumblers  of 
brag7aorty  please  a  hungry  kyte  very  much,  and  cause  one  to 
fall  in  love  with  mountaineers.  For  braxy  is  by  no  means 
bad  food,  when  ham*d ;  the  smell  then  in  a  great  measure 
leaves  it  Like^vise  these  hams  sometimes  adorn  the 
saddle-bow  of  a  moorland  lover,  when  he  starts  a  horse- 
back to  seek  a  wife,  and  are  considered  to  aid  him  much 
in  making  his  putt-gude  with  any  girl  he  takes  a  fancy 
for,  particularly  if  she  be  a  laich  fiel  lass ;  though  he  is 
often  disappointed  in  this  speculation.  However,  on  the 
whole,  there  is  worse  furniture  to  be  found  in  a  house,  in 
cold,  snowy,  wintry  weather,  than  plenty  of  braxy  ham, 

Braxy  Sheltv'. — A  little  rough  poney  kept  by  moor  farmers 
to  bring  home  braxy  sheep. 

Breasted. — Leaped,  by  first  throwing  up  or  over  the  breast. 
Those  who    mount  horses  without    stirrups,   are  said    to 
"breast  on  to  their  bare   backs."     Girls  sneering  at  short 
little  men,  often  say,    "  that  they  cudna  breast  a  ratton  af 
a  peat" 

Brechams. — Collars  for  horses;  anciently  they  were  made 
entirely  of  straw,  and  called  "  Strae  brechams." 

Breckan. — The  fern. 

Breckany  Braes. — Rural  solitudes,  growing  with  fern;  the 
haunts  of  innocence  and  rustic  poets. 

Breeds. — Breadths.  Girls  talk  of  how  many  breeds  d  prent 
wll  make  them  2i  frock, 

Breeks. — Breeches. 

Breel. — To  reel ;  to  make  a  noise. 

Breest-banes. — The  breast-bones  of  fowls.  They  are  bones 
of  a  forked  figure.  Two  persons  engage  to  pull  the 
fork  apart  with  their  little  fingers.  They  draw  against 
each  other,  and  the  person  who  gets  the  largest  share  of 


92  BRE  BRO 

the  bone  left  in   hand  when  it  breaks,   is    said  will    be 
married  first. 

Breeze. — To  bruise. 

Brentbrows. — Having  a  smooth  forehead,  not  wTinkled. 

Brew. — Opinion.  This  word  deserves  further  consideration. 
"  I  ha'e  nae  great  brew  o'  that  man,"  is  often  said,  and 
means,  "  I  have  no  great  opinion  of  that  man."  Also,  '*  I 
ha'e  a  good  brew,"  which  signifies  the  reverse.  Now,  this 
"  brew  *'  cannot  be  allied  to  "  broe^^  sap  or  fluid  of  some 
kind,  but  may  be  to  "  brow,''  the  front  of  the  brain,  as  those 
who  read  phizzes  place  much  dependance  on  w^hat  they 
find  on  the  brow  ;  still  this  comes  not  to  the  point.  I  am 
flung  back  to  "  brew,''' — and  this  may  mean,  to  make,  to 
conceive ;  as  ale  is  brewed;  for  we  are  said  to  be  a 
"  brewing "  when  we  are  thinking.  So  the  word,  for  all, 
may  come  from  this :  "  I  ha'e  nae  great  brew." — There  is 

.   no  brewing  in  the  brain  of  any  consequence. 

Bricht-lintie. — A  bird  of  the  linnet  tribe. 

Bridling  Rapes. — Ropes  which  hold  down  the  thatch  on  stacks. 
They  are  woven  into  the  mvrgaun  aties,  or  those  which  are 
vertical  over  the  concent,  and  are  not  rolled  up  like  them 
when  made,  but  twisted  together  in  a  longer  shuttle  form. 

Brig. — Bridge. 

Brilch. — A  short  thick  impudent  person. 

Brisket. — The  breast 

Brislin. — Bristlin. 

Brither. — Brother. 

Broaches. — Wooden  spindles  to  put  pirns  on,  to  be  wound 
of. 

Brochen. — A  fat  mixture  to  feed  young  calves. 

Brock. — Refuse  of  anything  ;  rotten  straw. 

Brock. — The  badger. 


BRO  BRO  93 

Brocket. — Like  a  badger  in  colour,  black  and  white. 

Brock-holes. — Badger  dens. 

Brod. — Board. 

Brods.  — Window-shutters. 

Broe. — Sap,  juice,  &c.  of  any  thing. 

Broese. — Broth. 

Broggle. — To  make  a  bad  hand  of  a  job ;  to  be  unhandy. 

Broich. — To  be  warm  and  sweating  much,  is  to  be  in  a 
"  broich  "  with  sweat. 

Broot^ies  or  Broozles. — Rows  in  the  rural  world.  The 
old  poem  of  "  Christ's  Kirk  on  the  Green "  is  of  this  na- 
ture; also  an  unknown  one,  here  to  follow,  termed 

The  BEE-IIIVE. 

Whan  May  comes  in  wi*  mochey  showers, 

And  blinking  suns,  sae  wanning. 
The  bees,  amang  her  bonny  flowers, 

Are  smioking  and  swarming. 
Frae  bud  to  bloom  they  bizz  wi'  speed. 

For  virgins  ay  they're  striving  ; 
Young  queens  their  cores  abroad  do  lead 

To  where  the  merry  hiving 

Will  hand  that  day. 

> 

And  aften  far  they'll  tak  a  flight 

Owre  hills,  and  hags,  and  mosses  ; 
Before  they  think  it's  time  to  light, 

Which  mony  a  body  crosses  ; 
As  was  the  way  wi'  Archy  Bell, 

Whan  his  tap  swarm  did  flee 
Out  owre  Bentoutlier's  buesty  fell. 

And  down  tae  Lowdenlee 

Fu'  straught  ae  day. 

This  Archy  was  a  gree<ly  curse. 

And  glie'd  at  things  about  ; — 
He  pat  the  bawbee  in  his  purse. 

But  seldom  took  it  out. 
His  mmd  was  no  as  braid's  ane's  loof ; 

He  had  na  heart  ava  ; 
Was  just  a  grubbing,  shyling  cuif, 

Fu'  fit  to  gi'e  ill  jaw. 

The  lee  lang  day. 


94 


BRO BRO 


A  bee-man  lang  the  chiel  had  iK'cn, 

Keep'd  mony  a  winter  stale, 
And  sell'd  the  hinny  ay  aff  dean, 

\Vi*  Kannock-wax  fu*  hale. 
Xa  hragwort  ere  was  brewn  by  he 

For  scuiiifu's  to  sloken, 
A  slang  about  the  neb,  or  c'e, 

Wad  har'Iy  make  him  gloken — 

On  ony  day. 

Amaist,  like  Bonar,  he  a  skep 

Cou'd  paise  and  sleely  han  le  ; 
The  smooking  them  ne  er  made  him  weep, 

\Vi*  lowing  brumstane  can'le. 
'i'lieir  dying  sough  did  please  his  lug — 

That  sad  confused  lamenting  ; 
Hut  feelings  he  had  nane  to  tug, 

Which  throweth  some,  repenting — 

On  mony  a  day. 

O,  is  it  na  a  horrid  thing. 

Sic  myriads  to  slaughter, 
For  a'  the  cash  the  prize  can  bring, 

And  yet  to  do't  in  laughter  ? — 
W^hich  Archy  unco  often  did. 

And  snork'd  his  snuff  fu*  cheery  ; 
At  length,  however,  he  was  chid. 

And  ne'er  again  was  merry — 

Wi*  bees  ae  day. 

The  hive  which  warped  owre  the  fell, 

As  formerly  was  stated. 
Was  followed  warmly  by  himsell — 

O  how  he  pech'd  and  sweated  ! 
And  now  and  then  would  glowre  for  it 

Up  i'  the  lift  uflcloudy. 
Than  something  whiles  wad  keep  his  tit. 

And  whurl  him  heels  owre  gowdie — 

Wi'  a  thud  that  dav. 

Whiles  too  as  thus  he  rowd  and  sten'd, 

And  clinched  it  awa. 
He'd  slonk  adown,  or  ere  he  ken'd, 

A  miry,  quacking  quaw, 
Or  glauroch,  far  alwon  the  knee, 

Through  some  blue  rashy  gullion, 
The  hive  ay  keeping  in  his  e'e, 

A  grim  disjasket  rullion 

He  was  that  day. 

Thus  driving  down  on  Ix)wdculec 

As  hard  as  he  cou'd  smack, 
Against  a  whunstane  dyke  gae*^  he, 

Rcboundinj;  arsct  l>.ick. 


BRO  BRC)  95 


Queer  rings  o'  mony  a  different  hue 

Did  whirl  afore  his  een ; 
Some  were  a  yellow,  ithers  blue, 

And  some  were  livid  green — 

We  true  that  day. 

The  dwamel  aff,  he  skellie's  roun', 

But  cou'd  na  see  a  bee  ; 
Ay,  sure  he  heard  their  bizzing  soun\ 

Tho*  them  he  cou'd  na  see. 
But  whether  it  was  the  bomf  he  got, 

That  made  his  lang  lues  tingle, 
lie  ken'd  na,  and  away  did  trot. 

Again  what  he  cou'd  wingle — 

That  weary  day. 

Till  Girzy  Grey,  down  i'  the  lee, 

A  cross-grained  wrinkl'd  wicker. 
Sees  Archy  wi'  her  reek'd  e'e. 

And  cries,  **  Whare's  thLs,  ye  bicker?  " 
**  Come  here,  gudeman,  and  len'  a  han' — 

(  **0  dinna  by  me  hasten) 
•*  And  let  us  skep  gin  that  we  can 

**  My  gude  tap  swarm  here  casten, 

*  *  This  bonny  day. ' ' 

"  Ve  lee,  ye  bitch,"  (roars  Archy  out) 

**  I  won'er  o'  ye  Grizzel ; 
*'  Ye'll  get  some  day  for  it,  I  doubt, 

**  A  whaling  till  ye  whizzle. 
*'  The  hive  is  mine ;  it  flew  frae  hame 

'*  About  an  hour  sincesyne, 
•  *  And  after  it  I  was  na  lame  : — 

•*  D'ye  think  that  I  shall  tyne 

**  My  bees  this  day." 

'*  Your  bees  !  "  (quoth  she  to  Archy  Bell) 

"  Faith,  that's  a  talc  indeed  ! 
(),  Archy,  man,  to  de'il  in  hell, 

**  Ve're  cantering  wi'  speed. 
"  Though  I  be  auld,  and  often  's  ca'd 

•*  A  wallow'd  wicketl  scranny, 
"  Dread  ye  the  claws,  my  sneeling  lad, 

*'  O'  feckless  Wullcat  granny, 

"Or  curse  this  day.'" 

Baith  own'd  the  hive,  tho'  it  was  thought 

To  neither  to  belang; 
Hailh  owre  it  stood,  and  raged,  and  fought. 

And  scrateil,  punsed,  and  flang. 
liaith  gut  a  skep,  and  baith  wad  hac't. 

In  their's  to  make  its  mantion  ; 
Hut  nane  o'  them  had  luck  to  get 

The  Qid'Cfi's  most  gracious  sanction 

rt'»<'n  that  dav. 


96  BRO  BRU 

Up  rase  her  swarm,  frae  whar  it  hang« 

In  bunch  below  a  broom, 
And  did  the  haveralls  nicely  stang, 

Weel  worthy  sic  a  doom. 
How  Archy  swaul'd,  and  roun*  did  loup  I 

How  gim'd  the  wizen'd  spirran, 
For  some  crawl'd  up,  and  hov'd  her  doup, 

And  did  na  miss  her  birran, 

'Tis  said  that  day. 

Whaever  tweillie  about  bees, 

Thae  bees  will  never  thrive, 
Nor  thae  saes  Providence  decrees 

Wha  fashes  wi'  the  hive. 
**  Let  a'  industrious  tribes  alane  !  " 

True  Wisdom's  ay  resounding. 
Sae  will  this  world  wi'  grief  neVr  grane, 

Nor  broyliments,  confounding, 

Appear  na  day. 

Brounies.  —  Nocturnal  beings,  which  thrashed  farmers' 
com,  and  did  other  laborious  jobs,  for  which  the  guii^ 
7c>ives,  as  Milton  says,  "  had  the  cream  bowl  duly  set.'* 
They  were  seldom  seen.  Some  think  they  were  of  no 
supernatural  origin,  but  distressed  persons,  who  were 
obliged  to  conceal  themselves,  and  wander  about,  during 
some  of  the  past  turbulent  ages. 

Browst. — A  brewing,  a  mighty  making  of  anything. 

Broyliment.  —  A  mighty  commotion  of  some  kind  or 
other.  When  a  black  bank  of  clouds  is  seen  to  rise  in  the 
south,  and  a  noise  or  mighty  soughing  of  the  sea  is  heard, 
then  a  broolimcnt  of  the  weather  is  at  hand.  Indeed, 
rookeries^  or  storms  of  any  kind,  are  fully  expressed  by 
the  word.  It  is  still  connected,  one  way  or  other,  with  ii 
broil, 

Bruckle. — Brittle. 

Bruckle-bread. — Brittle-bread. 

Bruff'd. — Thickly  cloathed. 

Brugh  about  the  Moon. — A  kind  of  thin  hazy  vapour 
which  seems  to  infold  the  moon  sometimes  We  behold 
it   between   her    and    her    radiance,    but    are    not    aware 


BRU  BUG  97 

of  its  existing,  was  it  not  for  the  moon  ;  as,  but  for  this  sign, 
the  nocturnal  sky  seems  without  clouds  or  mists  of  any  kind. 
The  brugh  or  ruff,  round  the  silvery  orb,  is  very  beautiful — 
so  white  and  snowy  just  before  the  disk — then  shading  away, 
till  the  circimiference  of  the  fold  is  drawn  by  the  intruding 
darkness,  whiles  it  is  called  the  faul  about  the  moon^  or  fold. 
The  signification  of  brough  is  a  gathering  of  foul  matter,  a 
collection  of  rubbish ;  so  when  it  is  seen,  those  skilled  in 
the  weather  prophesy  that  there  is  going  to  be  some  onfa\ 
or  other — either  of  rain  or  something  worse. 

Brunstane. — Brimstone. 

Brunstane  cannles. — Matches  made  of  paper  and  brimstone, 
to  suffocate  bees. 

Brunt. — Burnt 

Bryme. — Salt  brine. 

BuBBLiEjocK. — A  name  for  the  turkey-cock. 

BuBiES. — The  breasts. 

BuCHANiTES. — A  singular  sect  of  religious  fanatics  that  first 
made  their  appearance  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Glasgow 
about  fifty  or  sixty  years  ago.  From  thence  they  came  to 
Buchan  hd^  in  the  parish  of  Gloseburn;  and  now  the 
remnant  of  the  core  remain  at  a  place  in  Galloway,  called 
the  Crooked-ford^  a  place  about  eight  or  nine  miles  west 
from  Dumfries.  Their  founder  was  a  Mrs.  Buchan,  the 
wife  of  a  dyer  in  Glasgow.  She  was  a  very  tall,  strong 
woman ;  or,  in  the  Scottish,  a  strapping  hizzie.  Her  husband 
and  her  having  had  some  dispute,  she  flung  aside  her  //// 
pots^  and  left  off  the  colouring  of  matter  for  the  colouring  of 
mind,  and  was  so  fortunate  as  soon  to  have  many  followers, 
all  dipped  in  one  dye.  Amongst  these  was  a  fellow  of  the 
name  of  White,  a  coUeged  priest,  as  he  was  termed, — a  fellow 
\vho  had  been  bred  up  for  the  church  in  some  university, 
but  having  a  weak  brain,  unfit  to  hold  the  learning  that  was 


98  BUG  BUG 

poured  into  it,  he  so  became  a  fit  subject  for  waiting  upoTi 
Mrs.  Buchan,  and  frantic  as  she  could  possibly  be.  Whit  ^ 
however,  aided  her  cause  very  considerably.  He  was  quL  te 
an  Abbo  Bekar  to  Mahomet.  When  the  innocent  countM7 
people  heard  that  a  real  priest,  a  minister  of  the  word,  ha.<J 
become  a  BuchanitCy  they  gathered  in  from  all  quarters,  and 
became  so  likewise. 

One  of  her  chief  tenets  was,  that  all  who  followed  her 
and  her  doctrine  would  go  to   heaven  without  tasting  of 
death,  like  Elias,  and  that  too,  on  a  certain  day  which  she 
prophesied — for  she  always  wished  to  be  looked  on  as  a 
prophetess,  and  that  she  alighted  on  earth  at  the  Clauchan 
d  Tfwrnhilly  from  heaven,  keeping  still  the  ////  vats  in  the 
Gorbals  of  Glasgow  out  of  sight     At  long  and  length  the 
glorious  day  arrived  on  which  they  were  all  to  be  taken 
to  the  regions  above,  where  endless  happiness  existed,  and 
pleasure  for  evermore.      Platforms  were  erected  for  them 
to  wait  on,   until  the  wonderful   hour  arrived,   and   Mrs. 
Buchan's  platform  was  exalted  above  all  the  others.     The 
hair  of  ilka  head  was  cut  short — all  but  a  tuft  on  the  top, 
for  the  angels  to  catch  by  when  drawing  them  up.     The 
momentous  hour  came.      Every  station  for  ascension  was 
instantly  occupied.       Thus  they  stood,   expecting    to    be 
wafted  every  moment  into  the  land  of  bliss,  when  a  gust 
of  wind  came ; — but,  instead  of  wafting  them  upwards,  it 
capsized    Mrs.   Buchan,   platform    and    all !    and  the  fall 
made  her  all  hech  again  on  the  cauld  yird.     After  this  un- 
expected downcome,  she  fell  into  disgrace  by  her  leaders, 
and  her  words  had  not  so  much  weight  with  them ;   still, 
however,   a  great  number  clung  by  her;   and    one    night 
(she  having  been  ailing  for  some  time  before)  a  fit  came 
on  her,  out  of  which  she  never  recovered;   but  her  dis- 
ciples, thinking  it  to  be  a  trance  into  whicfi  she  had  fallen, 
expected  her  to  awake;  but  no  signs  of  this  appearing 
for  some  days,  and  her  body  beginning  to  have  a  putrid 


BUG  BUG  99 

smell,  they  thought  it  prudent  to  bury  it  in  the  earth  beside 
the  house  ;  and  by  her  have  been  laid  all  those  of  her  sect 
who  have  since  died. — So  ends  the  tale  of  Lucky  Buchan, 
She  would  allow  none  of  her  followers  to  marry,  or  have  any 
love-dealings  with  other ;  so  the  tribe  soon  weeded  away  and 
became  thin.  It  is  said  that  there  were  many  bastard 
baimies  appeared  amongst  them  ;  but  that  they  hardly  ever 
let  them  behold  the  light  Be  this  as  it  may,  their  general 
character  all  along  has  been,  quite  harmless.  They  were,  and 
yet  are,  a  very  industrious  people,  and  have  been  long  un- 
matched at  making  Wee  Wheels  and  Chackreels^  plying  the 
turning-loom  to  great  perfection.  They  are  all,  howeveir,  of 
rather  a  wild  frantic  nature,  and  seem  to  want  "  some  pence  of 
the  shilling,  a  penny  or  more."  After  all,  they  have  been  an 
odd  concern ;  and  to  think  they  arose  in  Scotland,  a  place 

**  Whar  lair  and  light,  are  at  sic  a  height," 

is  a  thing  to  be  wondered  at  Many  pamphlets  and  songs 
have  been  wrote  respecting  this  species  of  Mahometans  \ 
but  none  of  them  that  I  have  seen  seem  to  have  any  touches 
of  talent  worthy  of  remark. 

BucKBEARD. — A  kind  of  hard  fog,  of  a  white  nature,  which 
is  found  growing  on  rocks — often  it  is  seen  in  the  form 
of  a  wine-glass,  or  inverted  cone,  and  looks  very  beautiful ; 
it  is  not  used  now-a-days  for  any  thing  I  know  of,  but 
anciently  the  witches  found  it  an  useful  ingredient  in  a 
charm  mixture. 

BucKiES. — Fruit  of  a  certain  kind  of  brier.  There  are  three 
species  of  "  buckiberries "  in  the  country — a  long  green 
kind,  good  to  eat,  grows  on  lofty  bushes ;  another  much 
like  them,  but  grows  on  higher  bushes,  and  never  ripens 
well ;  and  a  third  kind,  about  the  size  of  a  sloe,  or  larger,  and 
of  the  same  colour,  which  grows  on  a  dwarfish  brier,  thought 
to  be  somewhat  poisonous. 


8JiO^Vi^ 


loo  BUG  BUL 

Buckie  Lice. — The  seed  of  the  buckie ;  it  much  resembles 
lice. 

BucKiN. — Striking. 

Buckle. — ^To  fix. 

Buck  nor  Croon. — An  animal  is  said  to  be  unfit  to  do  either 
of  these,  when  it  can  neither  strike  nor  make  a  noise, 
though  willing  to  do  both. 

Bucks  and  Kids. — A  school-game.    See  "  Dooi^." 

Buck-teeth. — Outstanding  tusks. 

Buffer. — A  boxer — a  Crib  ;  a  blackguard — a  man  detested 
amongst  men. 

Buff  nor  Stye. — A  phrase  which  signifies — I  know  nothing 
about  it,  neither  more  nor  less,  neither  in  one  respect  nor  in 
another. 

BuFFT. — The  noise  of  a  blow  given  on  soft  subjects,  which 
may  be  well  conceived  from  this  quotation  from  "  Christ 
Kirk  on  the  Green  " — 

**  He  hit  him  on  the  wame  a  whap, 

**  It  buflft  like  ony  blether ; 
**  But  ha  !  his  fortune  was  and  hap, 

**  His  doublet  made  o*  lether — 

**  Saved  him  that  day." 

BuGHT. — A  sheepfold. 

Bulb  or  Bulboch. — A  disorder  with  sheep ;  when  infected 
they  drink  water  until  they  swell  and  burst ;  when  swellecJ 
they  are  of  a  bulbous  form — Whence  the  name. 

Bulla. — Brother. 

Bullirag. — A  dispute  with  words — "  words  that  often  come  tcF 
blows." 

BuLLiSTERS. — Large  sloes,  common  on  sea-shores ;  for  there 
the  sloe  thorns  spread  on  the  beech  like  wall  fruit  trees, 
as  it  were,  on  the  walls  before  the  sun. 


BUM  BUM  loi 

:s. — ^The  wild  humble  bees.  There  are  three  kinds 
ese  bees  common  in  Scotland — the  black,  the  braw- 
,nd  the  brown.  The  first  has  its  nest  deep  in  the 
d,  and  they  are  generally  found  in  very  large  colonies 
ler;  the  second  build  and  breed  under  ground  too, 
ot  so  deep  as  the  others;  and  the  third,  or  brown, 
s  on  the  surface.  The  sting  of  a  wild  bee  is  not  so 
nous  as  that  of  a  tame  one,  neither  are  the  bumbees 
jrce  as  the  others ;  but  will  fly  buzzing  round  and 
I,  and  seldom  dart  in  to  sting — their  bykes  are  robbed 
ommon,  without  much  trouble.  The  honey  of  bum- 
s  also  quite  weak  and  watry  to  that  of  the  others ; 
io  they  display  great  handy  work  in  the  formation  of 
combs;  theirs  are  no  hexagonal  tubes,  but  dirty  glo- 
figures ;  they  are  no  craftsmen  in  truth,  nor  yet  near 
mble  as  the  others  in  comparison ;  yet  who  does  not 
to  hear  them  in  the  spring  bumming  amongst  the 
saughs  wV  downie  budSy  or  the  opening  leaves  of  the' 
^ree.  In  an  old  riddle  the  three  kinds  are  thus  specified — 

"  As  I  cam  ower  the  tap  o*  Tyne, 
**  I  met  a  drove  o*  Highlan'  swine  ; 
**  Some  o'm  blacky  some  o'm  brmotty 
**  Some  o'm  rig^ft  ower  the  crown  ; 
**  Sic  a  drove  a  Highlan'  swine, 
"  I  ne'er  met  on  the  top  o*  Tyne." 

)CK. — The  humming  beetle  of  the  evenings. 
<i. — Humming. 
E. — To  fumble. 

IN  BRAWLV. — An  old  dance,  the  dance  which  always 
balls  ;  the  same  with  the  "  Cushion  "  almost 

**  Wha  leam'd  you  to  dance, 

"You  to  dance,  you  to  dance, 

**  Wha  leam'd  you  to  dance — 

**  A  country  bumpkin  bra\»  ly  ? 

"  My  mither  leam'd  me  when  I  was  young, 

**  When  I  was  young,  when  I  was  young, 

**  My  mither  leam'd  me  when  I  was  young, 

**  The  country  bumpkin  brawly." 

Auid  Sang. 

tune   of  this   song   is   always   played   to  the    dance. 


I02  BUM BUR 

BuMSHOT. — When  any  plot  gives  way  with  us,  we  are  said 
to  be  bunishot, 

BuMWHUSH. — When  anything  has  made  a  noise  for  som^e 
time,  and  is  then  quashed,  it  is  said  to  have  gone  to  tih.e 
bumwhush.  This  is  too  often  the  way  with  people  of  gr&at 
popularity;  they  have  their  day,  then  go  all  to  the  bumwhus-A. 

BuNjELLS. — Burthens  of  straw  ;  fern. 

Bunker. — A  long  chest,  answering  also  for  a  seat 

BuNN. — A  hare's  tail.  • 

BuNSE, — A  short  thick  little  girl. 

BuRD. — Bird. 

BuRD  Alane. — Bird  alone. 

Burial  House. — The  house  of  mourning ;  the  house  wherein 
lies  a  corpse  awaiting  interment ;  it  is  termed  the  burial 
house  but  for  one  day,  the  day  of  the  burial. 

Burly  Whush. — A  game  played  at  with  a  ball  The  ball 
is  thrown  up  by  one  of  the  players  on  a  house  or  wall, 
who  cries  on  the  instant  it  is  thrown  to  another  to  catch 
or  kep  it  before  it  falls  to  the  ground ;  they  all  run  off 
but  this  one  to  a  little  distance,  and  if  he  fails  in  kepping 
it,  he  bawls  out  burly  whush;  then  the  party  be  arrested 
in  their  flight,  and  must  run  away  no  farther.  He  sin- 
gles out  one  of  them  then,  and  throws  the  ball  at  him, 
which  often  is  directed  so  fair  as  to  strike ;  then  this  one 
at  which  the  ball  has  been  thrown  is  he  who  gives  buHy 
whush  with  the  ball  to  any  he  chooses.  If  the  comer  of 
a  house  be  at  hand,  as  is  mostly  the  case,  and  any  of  the 
players  escape  behind  it,  they  must  still  shew  one  of  their 
hands  past  its  edge  to  the  burly  whush  man,  who  some- 
times hits  it  such  a  whack  with  the  ball,  as  leaves  it  dirling 
for  an  hour  afterwards. 

Burn. — A    small    river    of   water.     These  rivulets   are    fre- 
quently very   poetical  objects   in  nature,  when  they  steal 


BUR  BUR  103 

"  'neath  the  lang  yellow  broom,"  or  when  "  'neath  the  brow 
the  burnie  juiks  ;  "  and  on  so.  Tannahill  has  a  good  song 
called  Yon  Burn  Side ;  and  here  follows  a  new  one,  of  an 
original  stamp,  termed — 

THE  SUNNY  BURN  BRAE. 

My  auld  cronnie  Pate  has  his  sweet,  sweet  Kate, 

And  my  darling  Nannie  I  hae,  hae  ; 
\Vi*  her  I  roam,  3ie  meadow  and  the  howm. 

And  row  on  the  Sunny  Bum  Brae,  Brae — 
And  row  on  the  Sunny  Bum  Brae. 

Her  shining  hair  is  a  yellowish  fair. 

And  her  e'en  are  as  black  as  the  slae,  slae ; 
O  I  were  she  in  my  arms,  to  towzle  her  charms. 

Again  on  the  Sunny  Bum  Brae,  Brae — 
Again  on  the  Sunny  Bum  Brae. 

O  !  her  singing  to  hear  I  do  lo'e  dear, 

*Tis  sweeter  than  the  lammie's  mae,  mae ; 
But  to  kiss  her  mou*  is  like  Heaven  I  true, 

On  the  green  and  Sunny  Burn  Brae,  Brae — 
On  the  green  and  Sunny  Burn  Brae. 

My  heart  she  has  ta'en,  O  !  I  find  it's  clean  gane. 

And  I  hope  she'll  ne'er  let  it  gae,  gae ; 
Nor  the  want  o't  I'll  no  mourn — as  her  ain  ane  in  return, 

She  gaed  me  on  the  Sunny  Bum  Brae,  Brae — 
She  gaed  me  on  the  Sunny  Bum  Brae. 

By  the  hinnysuckle  tree,  adown  the  flowery  lee, 

I  like  weel  on  the  e'ening  to  stray,  stray  ; 
But  the  hiny suckle  tree  is  nought  ava  to  me. 

Like  my  love  on  the  Sunny  Bum  Brae,  Brae — 
Like  my  love  on  the  Sunny  Bum  Brae. 

'XJRNBECKER. — The  bird  known  also  by  the  name  of  water- 

^yety  having  a  white  breast,  while  the  rest  of  its  plumage 

is  black,  and  a  frequenter  of  bums  or  streams  of  water; 

it    keeps    its    body  in    continual    motion — beck — becking — 

lience  the  name  burnbecker.     It  is  one  of  the  poet's  favourite 

birds,  not  for  its   singing,   for  it  sings  none,   nor  for  its 

beauty,  having  also  little  of  that;   but  because  it  haunts 

places  of  deep  solitude — lonely  bums — ^where  also  do  the 

bards  of  nature. 

^URNBLADES. — A  large  broad  leaved  plant,  which  is  found 
growing  on  the  banks  of  bums. 


I04  BUR BUT 

BuRNT-STANES. — A  curling  term.  When  a  stone  in  mo- 
tion hits  another  in  passing  slightly,  it  is  said  to  bum  on 
it;  sometimes  when  they  burn  or  rub  rather  roughly,  they 
are  said  to  have  got  their  burthen  ;  that  is  to  say,  they  have 
got  as  much  of  their  motion  retarded  by  one  stone,  as 
hinders  them  to  damage  any  more ;  and  when  a  stone  in 
motion  hits  the  feet,  or  the  broom  of  any  player,  not  on 
the  same  side  of  the  game  with  that  stone,  it  is  allowed 
to  be  played  over  again ;  but  if  it  hit  one  on  its  own  side, 
it  is  thrown  off  the  ice ;  for  why  it  is  a  burnt-stane. 

BuRRBLE. — Any  thing  in  confusion.  When  a  pirn  of  yam  in 
winding  mns  into  disorder,  it  is  then  in  a  snurl  or  a  burrbU. 

BuRR-THRisTLES. — The  Strongest  of  the  thistle  tribe.  There 
are  five  kinds  of  thistles  common  in  Scotland — the  burr 
or  horse  thristle ;  the  com  thristle ;  the  moss  thristle;  the 
swine  thristle  ;  and  the  Scotch  thristle. 

BuRSEN   Kirns. — Those  kirns  which  are    cut    with  labour. 
Thus,  if  the  last  of  the  crop  cannot  be  got  cut  by  the  shearers 
for  all  they  can  work  until  night  be  set  in — then  they  say 
they  have  had  a  bursen  kirn  \   they  have  burst  themselves 
almost  before  they  got  the  last  cut  or  girn  shorn. 

Bushes. — Iron  or  brass  rings  in  the  centre  of  wheels,  to  ke^I 
down  friction. 

BusKET. — Neady  dressed 

Buss. — Bush. 

But  and  Ben. — Kitchen  and  parlour. 

Butt. — A  mark.  "  Bowbutts,"  little  hillocks  of  earth  comni^^ 
in  Galloway ;  there  are  mostly  two  of  them  found  n^^ 
other,  within  150  or  perhaps  200  yards;  they  were  xX^ 
places  shot  at  by  our  forefathers,  when  practising  with  xX^  ^ 
ancient  weapons  of  war — the  bow  and  arrow. 

,  Buttermilk   Gled.— A   bird  of  the   falcon  tribe ;   it  is    o^ 
a  cream  colour,    of  the  size   of  the   common  kite;    som^ 


BYE  CAB  105 

think  it  is  the  male  kite,  but  this  cannot  be  so.  It  seems  to 
be  a  bird  of  emigration ;  and,  by  its  visiting  us  in  winter, 
bespeaks  it  comes  from  some  arctic  nation.  Indeed, 
Greenland  is  seen  in  all  its  moves ;  it  is  savage  and  cold- 
hearted.  No  burd  d  prey  gives  a  clocken  hen  a  greater 
^ocken  than  the  buttermilk  gled, 

Bye-him-sell. — Deranged  in  the  intellect 

Byke. — To  whinge ;  to  ^eep  and  sob. 

Bykes. — Bee  nests  ;  also  nests  of  angry  people. 

Byles. — Gatherings  of  bile  on  the  body. 

Bynall. — A  tall  lame  man. 

Byng. — A  rude  lump,  or  heap  of  anything,  such  as  a  pit  full 
of  potatoes. 

Byre. — A  cowhouse. 

Byre-plaid. — A  plaid  used  about  byres. 

Byre-Woman. — The  girl  about  farm-houses,  whose  duty  it 
is  to  look  after  the  cows  during  the  winter  season ;  these 
girls  for  common  are  strong-boned  persons,  as  able  to  give 
a  good  lift  as  a  man.  There  are  always  two  chief  female 
servants  about  houses  of  this  kind,  called  the  "  byrewoman," 
and  the  "  kitch  in  woman,"  the  cold  half  of  the  year ;  and  the 
*^outaru*'  and  the  ^^  innane"  the  other  half;  for  in  summer 
cows  are  put  out  of  the  byre,  I  have  heard  that  Nicholson 
our  poet  has  wrote  a  poem,  ycleped  veises  on  the  "  Death  d 
a  Dairy maidy     I  wish  I  saw  them. 

Byrran. — The  female  nymphse. 

c. 

Qk\ — To  call ;  name ;  and  drive. 

Cabbage  Blades. — Blades  of  the  cabbage  plant,  used  to  wrap 
soft  matters  in,  as  butter. 


io6  CAB  CAE 

I 

Cabroch. — Stinking  putrid  flesh;  food  for  the  ravens  and 
greycrows. 

Cadgell'd. — A  person  having  got  a  rough  ride  is  said  to  have 
been  cadgelVd  ;  cadgell,  being  to  carry  after  a  rough  manner — 

•*  Fate  ne'er  intends  us  twa  auld  hags, 
•*  Twa  Billy  Neumls,  or  Scmmie  Rags^ 
**  To  cadgell,  keel,  and  ronnet  bags — 
**  Ower  a*  the  kintra,  Geordy." 

Epistle  to  George  IVishari, 

Cadger. — A  carrier  on  horsebacL 

Cadger  te  Creels  and  A*. — An  expression  representing  a 
cadger  and  all  his  appurtenances. 

Caed. — Calved. 

Caer  Bentorigum. — ^A  beautiful  Roman  camp  in  the  parish 
of  Kirkcudbright ;  it  is  on  the  top  of  a  commanding  hill, 
and  surrounded  by  deep  trenches  ;  a  more  entire  thing  of 
the  kind  is  not  in  the  south  of  Scotland ;  some  think  it  was 
one  of  the  posts  of  Agricola. 

Caerslooth. — ^An  ancient  fortress  on  the  sea  shore,  in  the 
parish  of  Kirkmabreek,  Galloway ;  it  is  a  strength  by 
nature  of  the  first  kind  ;  a  deep  chasm  cutting  its  site  from 
the  main  land,  above  twenty  feet  in  width,  and  above  fifty 
in  depth ;  over  this  has  been  thrown  a  draw-bridge ;  and 
as  the  sides  of  the  rock  all  round  are  extremely  steep,  it  is 
wonderful  to  conceive  how  a  foe  might  gain  possession  of 
it ;  yet  here  it  was  that — 

**  Wallace  lap,  and  Carlie  clam." 

He  first  threw  his  broad  sword  over  the  yawning  chasm — 
did  the  mighty  Scots  patriot ;  then  followed  it  by  making 
a  tremendous  leap  himself.  His  fell  comrade  Carlie  durst 
not  try  that  trick,  but  went  down  the  precipice,  and  clam 
up  to  the  assistance  of  his  friend — what  brave  fellows — 
was  a  place  ever  taken  by  storm  in  such  a  manner — there 
did  they  lay  on  like  devils.      Wallace  took  his  great  sword 


CAE  CAI  107 

which  was  like  the  rafter  of  a  house,  both  hands  to  the 
handle,  and  mowed  the  southeron  loons  down  before  him ; 
some  of  whom,  rather  than  receive  2,fleg  from  his  metal 
keen,  leaped  over  the  heughy  where  they  were  dashed  to 
pieces  below. 

On  the  main  land,  and  just  beside  where  the  grand  en- 
trance had  been,  stands  a  large  smooth  faced  stone,  with 
many  characters  cut  on  it,  but  what  these  import  no  anti- 
quarian as  yet  can  tell. 

Ca'es. — Calves. 

Caff.— Chaff. 

Caffie-heap. — A  heap  of  oats  before  they  are  winnowed. 

Cairn  Hattie. — A  large  Galloway  mountain ;  on  its  top  a 
cloud  generally  reposes — a  cowl  or  hat  as  it  were — hence 
the  name  hattie. 

Cairns. — Hillocks  of  stones ;  whiles  they  are  built  with  care, 
but  oftener  not ;  they  are  common  on  the  tops  of  hills ; 
a  number  of  them  were  built  prior  to  dykes,  as  marks,  to 
shew  lairds  the  marches  or  boundaries  of  their  possessions. 
In  ancient  burial  grounds  they  are  met  with  too  ;  our  ances- 
tors, like  the  natives  yet  of  every  uncivilized  country,  huddled 
a  number  of  stones  on  the  graves  of  their  dead. 

"  ni  throiv  a  statu  to  your  Cairti^''  was  a  phrase  used  in 
the  days  of  yore,  and  expressive  of  a  kindness  that  would 
be  shewn  persons  even  when  dead — by  throwing  a  stone 
now  and  then  to  the  cairtis  on  their  graves.  Chieftains  of 
course  then,  and  people  of  note,  would  be  honoured  with 
the  largest  caitns. 

Cairns-moors.  —  There  are  three  large  hills  or  moors  in 
Galloway,  called  "  Cairns-moors  " — 

**  Cairns-moor  o*  Fleet, 

•*  Cairns-moor  o*  Dee ; 

**  But  Cairns-moor  o'  Carsphaim 

**'Sthe  biggest  o'  the  three." 

They  are  about  a  couple  of  thousand  feet  above  the  level 


io8  CAK  CAN 

of  the  sea.  Vtrns,  otherwise  eagles,  build  their  nests  on 
them — and  amongst  their  wild  rocks  are  pieces  of  beautiful 
spar  found,  termed  by  the  country  people  Cairns-nwor 
diamonds.  I  have  heard,  too,  of  the  door  of  the  Cairns-moor 
of  FUety  which  is  a  very  large  cave  that  runs  away  into  the 
interior  of  the  mountain,  as  yet,  like  the  Piper's  Cd  d  Cou*end^ 
unexplored. 

Cakie. — The  excrement  of  children. 

C ALLAN. — ^A  young  person,  either  a  boy  or  a  girl. 

Calledin  o*  the  Blade. — A  slight  rain  by  which  the  blades 
of  grass  are  cooled  and  refreshed. 

Callion. — Any  thing  old  and  ugly. 

Camrell. — A  piece  of  wood  used  by  butchers,  notched 
on  either  end,  used  in  hanging  up  carcases  by  the  hind 
legs. 

Camshackled. — A  quadruped  is  so,  when  its  two  fore  legs 
are  "  langled^^  or  confined  with  a  chain,  so  that  it  cannot 
leap. 

Camsteerie. — Restless ;  given  to  quarrel. 

Canglin. — Wrangling ;  foolishly  disputing. 

Cankert. — Cross-grained  \  ill-natured ;  fretful;  &c 

Cankert  King  Cowan. — ^An  old  farmer  wretch,  who 
lived  at  a  place,  some  years  ago,  called  the  Blairs  d  Crce ; 
he  was  extremely  bad  to  his  wife ;  in  short,  there  was  not 
one  good  quality  about  him.  An  Irish  bard,  who  had 
been  stopping  sometime  in  his  neighbourhood,  and  who 
knew  his  character  well,  would  make  a  song  on  him — ^the 
which  I  here  give ;  because  it  contains  some  genius,  and 
is  wrote  not  only  to  a  Galloway  air,  but  in  the  Galloway 
language  ;  some  of  the  ideas  however  bespeak  green  Erin. 
It  gave  me  some  furbishing  ado  before  I  got  its  grammar, 
measure,  and  clink,  in  a  fair   looking  passable   way;    but 


CAN  CAN  109 

indeed  the  confessions  of  an  old  blackguard  will  never  look 
well — 

My  name's  Johnnie  Cowan  the  king  o'  queer  fellows, 

The  devil  the  like  o'  me  ere  ye  did  see  ; 
My  lun£[s  they  are  stronger  than  ony  smith's  bellows, 

Sae  &r  frae  the  grave  than  I  surely  man  be. 
But  like  the  hom*d  howlet  that's  a*  the  nicht  screeching, 

'Bout  cuikin  o'  victuals  am  a'  the  day  teaching  ; 
On  washing  o'  dishes  too  I'd  mak  a  preaching. 

Wad  bet  ony  sermon  ere  ranted  on  Cree. 

I  never  am  weel  but  whan  discontented, 

Sae  my  wife  and  me  we  do  seldom  agree  ; 
I  lather  her  aften  and  never  repent  it ; 

I  wuss  she  wad  tak  the  hint  some  day  and  dee. 
I'd  rather  be  boxing  and  scaulin  the  women, 

And  riving  their  cheeks  till  the  bluid  it  came  streaming 
Then  hae  a  brade  river  o'  wine  to  gae  swim  in, 

Exceeding  in  bigness  the  water  o'  Cree. 

For  how  to  get  rich  it  is  a'  my  desire, 

Before  that  on  whisky  I'd  spen'  ae  bawbee, 
I'd  rather  sup  sna  brew  that's  made  at  the  fire ; 

My  neebors  ken  weel  what  a  miser  I  be. 
I  hunger  my  wyme,  and  my  back  I  keep  duddy. 

For  how  to  save  sillar  is  a*  my  hale  study  ; 
Ne'er  think  it  ought  strange  tho'  I  gim  in  a  wuddie. 

Ay  auld  farmer  Jock  at  the  Blairs  o'  the  Cree. 

The  first  wife  I  had  was  a  hule  o'  a  woman, 

But  death  was  sae  kind  as  to  click  her  frae  me; 
To  whripe  for  the  dead  is  a  sin  unbecomin. 

Sae  never  a  tear  left  my  blinkers  for  she. 
Afore  she  tirl'd  owre  my  prayers  war  fervant. 

Death  cam  and  the  cheel  did  na  gang  'thout  his  yerrand  ; 
But  than  my  hale  blame  was  I  kiss  d  my  ain  servant. 

Like  mony  mae  else,  on  the  water  o'  Cree. 

Sae  whan  I  had  gotten  my  auld  Lucky  hurried, 
My  joy  it  rase  up  to  highest  degree  ; 

0  !  than  my  hale  thought  was  again  to  get  married. 
For  'thout  a  bit  hizzie  I  never  cud  be. 

1  rade  af  on  my  naig  than  and  courted  my  Rosie, 
As  plump  as  a  pig  and  as  gay  as  a  posie  ; 

But  little  thought  I  she  was  frien  to  auld  Nosie, 
The  bawdy  house-keeper  on  the  water  o'  Cree. 

I  took  her  for  nane  o'  your  gigglin  gawkies, 
Tho*  she  had  a  vile  gate  playin  wink  wi'  her  e'e  ; 

Her  kisses  war  sweeter  than  frosty  potatoes. 
Ilk  time  that  a  smack  o'  her  mou  I  did  prie. 


io6  CAB  CAE 

Cabroch. — Stinking  putrid  flesh ;   food  for  the  ravens  and 
greycrows. 

Cadgell'd. — A  person  having  got  a  rough  ride  is  said  to  ha'v^e 
been  cadgelVd  ;  cadgell,  being  to  carry  after  a  rough  manner^ 

**  Fate  ne'er  intends  us  twa  auld  hags, 

•*  Twa  Billy  NewalSj  or  Sawnie  Rags, 

"  To  cadgell,  keel,  and  ronnet  bags — 

**  Ower  a*  the  kintra,  Geordy." 

Epistle  to  George  IViskart. 

Cadger. — A  carrier  on  horsebacL 

Cadger  te  Creels  and  A*. — An  expression  representing    sl 
cadger  and  all  his  appurtenances. 

Caed. — Calved. 

Caer  Bentorigum. — A  beautiful  Roman  camp  in  the  parish 
of  Kirkcudbright ;  it  is  on  the  top  of  a  commanding  hill, 
and  surrounded  by  deep  trenches ;  a  more  entire  thing  of 
the  kind  is  not  in  the  south  of  Scotland  ;  some  think  it  was 
one  of  the  posts  of  Agricola. 

Caerslooth. — ^An  ancient  fortress  on  the  sea  shore,  in  the 
parish  of  Kirkmabreek,  Galloway ;  it  is  a  strength  by 
nature  of  the  first  kind ;  a  deep  chasm  cutting  its  site  from 
the  main  land,  above  twenty  feet  in  width,  and  above  fifty 
in  depth ;  over  this  has  been  thrown  a  draw-bridge ;  and 
as  the  sides  of  the  rock  all  round  are  extremely  steep,  it  is 
wonderful  to  conceive  how  a  foe  might  gain  possession  of 
it ;  yet  here  it  was  that — 

**  Wallace  lap,  and  Carlie  clam." 

He  first  threw  his  broad  sword  over  the  yawning  chasm — 
did  the  mighty  Scots  patriot ;  then  followed  it  by  making 
a  tremendous  leap  himself.  His  fell  comrade  Carlie  durst 
not  try  that  trick,  but  went  down  the  precipice,  and  clam 
up  to  the  assistance  of  his  friend — what  brave  fellows — 
was  a  place  ever  taken  by  storm  in  such  a  manner — there 
did  they  lay  on  like  devils.      Wallace  took  his  great  sword 


CAE  CAI  107 

which  was  like  the  rafter  of  a  house,  both  hands  to  the 
handle,  and  mowed  the  southeron  loons  down  before  him ; 
some  of  whom,  rather  than  receive  2i  fleg  from  his  metal 
keen,  leaped  over  the  heugh^  where  they  were  dashed  to 
pieces  below. 

On  the  main  land,  and  just  beside  where  the  grand  en- 
trance had  been,  stands  a  large  smooth  faced  stone,  with 
many  characters  cut  on  it,  but  what  these  import  no  anti- 
quarian as  yet  can  tell. 

Ca'es. — Calves. 

Caff.— Chaff. 

Caffie-heap. — A  heap  of  oats  before  they  are  winnowed. 

Cairn  Hattie. — A  large  Galloway  mountain ;  on  its  top  a 
cloud  generally  reposes — a  cowl  or  hat  as  it  were — hence 
the  name  hattie. 

Cairns. — Hillocks  of  stones ;  whiles  they  are  built  with  care, 
but  oftener  not ;  they  are  common  on  the  tops  of  hills ; 
a  number  of  them  were  built  prior  to  dykes,  as  marks,  to 
shew  lairds  the  marches  or  boundaries  of  their  possessions. 
In  ancient  burial  grounds  they  are  met  with  too  ;  our  ances- 
tors, like  the  natives  yet  of  every  uncivilized  country,  huddled 
a  number  of  stones  on  the  graves  of  their  dead. 

" ril  throiv  a  stane  to  your  Cairn y^  was  a  phrase  used  in 
the  days  of  yore,  and  expressive  of  a  kindness  that  would 
be  shewn  persons  even  when  dead — by  throwing  a  stone 
now  and  then  to  the  cairtis  on  their  graves.  Chieftains  of 
course  then,  and  people  of  note,  would  be  honoured  with 
the  largest  caitns. 

Cairns-moors.  —  There  are  three  large  hills  or  moors  in 
Galloway,  called  "  Cairns-moors  " — 

**  Caims-moor  o*  Fleet, 

•*  Caims-moor  o'  Dee ; 

**  But  Cairns-moor  o*  Carsphaim 

**'Sthe  biggest  o'  the  three." 

They  are  about  a  couple  of  thousand  feet  above  the  level 


io8  CAK  CAN 

of  the  sea.  YiirnSy  otherwise  eagles,  build  their  nests  on 
them — and  amongst  their  wild  rocks  are  pieces  of  beautiful 
spar  found,  termed  by  the  country  people  Caims-mcor 
diamonds,  I  have  heard,  too,  of  the  door  of  the  Cairns-moor 
of  FUety  which  is  a  very  large  cave  that  runs  away  into  the 
interior  of  the  mountain,  as  yet,  like  the  Piper's  Co*  d  Cowcnd^ 
unexplored. 

Cakie. — The  excrement  of  children. 

Callan. — A  young  person,  either  a  boy  or  a  girl. 

Calledin  o'  the  Blade. — A  slight  rain  by  which  the  blades 
of  grass  are  cooled  and  refreshed. 

Callion. — Any  thing  old  and  ugly. 

Camrell. — A  piece  of  wood  used  by  butchers,  notched 
on  either  end,  used  in  hanging  up  carcases  by  the  hind 
legs. 

Camshackled. — A  quadrupled  is  so,  when  its  two  fore  legs 
are  " langled,*  or  confined  with  a  chain,  so  that  it  cannot 
leap. 

Camsteerie. — Restless  j  given  to  quarrel. 

Canglin. — Wrangling ;  foolishly  disputing. 

Cankert. — Cross-grained ;  ill-natured ;  fretful^  &c 

Cankert  King  Cowan. — An  old  farmer  wretch,  who 
lived  at  a  place,  some  years  ago,  called  the  Biairs  d  Crce  ; 
he  was  extremely  bad  to  his  wife ;  in  short,  there  was  not 
one  good  quality  about  him.  An  Irish  bard,  who  had 
been  stopping  sometime  in  his  neighbourhood,  and  who 
knew  his  character  well,  would  make  a  song  on  him — the 
which  I  here  give ;  because  it  contains  some  genius,  and 
is  wrote  not  only  to  a  Galloway  air,  but  in  the  Galloway 
language  ;  some  of  the  ideas  however  bespeak  green  Erin. 
It  gave  me  some  furbishing  ado  before  I  got  its  grammar, 
measure,  and  clink,  in  a  fair   looking  passable   way;    but 


CAN  CAN  109 

indeed  the  confessions  of  an  old  blackguard  will  never  look 
well — 

My  name's  Johnnie  Cowan  the  king  o'  queer  fellows, 

The  devil  the  like  o*  me  ere  ye  did  see  ;    ' 
My  lungs  they  are  stronger  than  ony  smith's  bellows, 

Sae  &r  frae  the  grave  than  I  surely  man  be. 
But  like  the  hom*d  howlet  that's  a'  the  nicht  screeching, 

'Bout  cuikin  o'  victuals  am  a'  the  day  teaching  ; 
On  ^^ashing  o'  dishes  too  I'd  mak  a  preaching. 

Wad  bet  ony  sermon  ere  ranted  on  Cree. 

I  never  am  weel  but  whan  discontented, 

Sae  my  wife  and  me  we  do  seldom  agree  ; 
I  lather  her  aften  and  never  repent  it ; 

I  wuss  she  wad  tak  the  hint  some  day  and  dee. 
I'd  rather  be  boxing  and  scaulin  the  women. 

And  riving  their  cheeks  till  the  bluid  it  came  streamin', 
Then  hae  a  brade  river  o'  wine  to  gae  swim  in, 

Exceeding  in  bigness  the  water  o'  Cree. 

For  how  to  get  rich  it  is  a*  my  desire. 

Before  that  on  whisky  I'd  spen'  ae  bawbee, 
I'd  rather  sup  sna  brew  that's  made  at  the  fire ; 

My  neebors  ken  weel  what  a  miser  I  be. 
I  hunger  my  wyme,  and  my  back  I  keep  duddy. 

For  how  to  save  sillar  is  a'  my  hale  study  ; 
Ne'er  think  it  ought  strange  tho'  I  gim  in  a  wuddie. 

Ay  auld  farmer  Jock  at  the  Blairs  o'  the  Cree. 

The  first  wife  I  had  was  a  hule  o'  a  woman. 

But  death  was  sae  kind  as  to  click  her  frae  me ; 
To  whripe  for  the  dead  is  a  sin  unbecomin. 

Sae  never  a  tear  left  my  blinkers  for  she. 
Afore  she  tirl'd  owre  my  prayers  war  fervant. 

Death  cam  and  the  cheel  did  na  gang  'thout  his  yerrand  ; 
But  than  my  hale  blame  was  I  kiss  d  my  ain  servant. 

Like  mony  mae  else,  on  the  water  o'  Cree. 

Sae  whan  I  had  gotten  my  auld  Lucky  hurried, 
My  joy  it  rase  up  to  highest  degree  ; 

0  !  than  my  hale  thought  was  again  to  get  married. 
For  'thout  a  bit  hizzie  I  never  cud  be. 

1  rade  af  on  my  naig  than  and  courted  my  Rosie, 
As  plump  as  a  pig  and  as  gay  as  a  posie  ; 

But  little  thought  I  she  was  frien  to  auld  Nosie, 
The  bawdy  house-keeper  on  the  water  o*  Cree. 

I  took  her  for  nane  o'  your  gigglin  gawkies, 

Tho'  she  had  a  vile  gate  playin  wink  wi'  her  e'e  ; 

Her  kisses  war  sweeter  than  frosty  potatoes. 
Ilk  time  that  a  smack  o'  her  mou  I  did  prie. 


no  CAN  CAN 


I  swore  by  my  soul,  I  could  swear  by  no  greater. 
That  I  was  quite  wuUin  my  dear  wife  to  make  her  ; 

If  she'd  na  comply  o  the  auld  boy  might  take  her. 
For  me,  Johnnie  Cowan,  on  the  water  o'  Cree. 

But  afore  she  wad  join  me  in  sic  a  contraction. 

Three  hunner  pounds  interest  I  yearly  bond  gie 
And  being  in  lo'e  faith  about  the  distraction, 

To  a'  her  proposals  I  quickly  did  gree. 
And  now  my  auld  pow  sne  has  neatly  adorned 

Wi'  thae  vera  things  that  I  sae  meikle  scorned. 
For  now  like  a  big  Irish  bill  I  am  homed. 

And  croons  out  my  wrath  on  the  water  o*  Cree. 


And  now  my  guid  neebors  sae  douce  and  religious, 

I  beg  this  ae  favour  frae  you  whan  I  dee  ; 
Ye*ll  rip  up  my  memory  through  distant  ages. 

And  this  epitaph  ye'll  get  printed  on  me. 
Here  lies  the  remains  o'  Cankert  King  Cowan, 

A  miser,  a  cuckold,  a  pickthank,  a  loon. 
And  a  lustfii*  auld  rogue — his  match  was  ne*er  known 

Wha  farm'd  ance  the  Blairs  on  the  water  o*  Cree. 

Cannlesmas-Day — Candlemas-day.  The  way  in  which  this 
day  is  held  at  country  schools,  is  tolerably  expressed  in  the 
following  poem,  written  by  a  youth  of  fifteen — 

CANNLEMAS  DAY. 

Whan  February's  flaughts  o*  snaw 

Besark  the  infant  year  : 
When  ne'er  a  bonny  flower  ava 

Upon  the  howms  appear  ; 
Than  Cannlesmas  at  kintra  skools 

We  haud  in  merry  stile : 
Nae  skolar's  fash'd  wi*  bulks  and  rules. 

But  ilka  ane  dis  smile 

Wi'  joy  that  day. 

Behold  Gillronnie's  family  braw, 

Gaun  owre  yon  Whunnie  hill 
Wi'  faces  clean,  snod  daickert  a*. 

By  mammie's  greatest  skill ; 
And  see  how  crouse  their  father  looks 

As  he  steps  up  ahin  them. 
Thinking  by  how  they  learn  their  books. 

That  meikle  pith  is  in  them, 

To  shine  some  day. 

Sic  fathers  are  auld  Scotlan's  pride : 

The  far  famed  haunt  for  learning. 
What  nation  i'  the  warle  wide 

Like  her  in  its  discerning — 


CAN  CAN  III 


Her  manly  independent  youths 
Can  never  live  'thout  knowledge ; 

And  deep  they're  shawn  the  science  truths 
In  mony  a  thacked  college, 

By  night  and  day. 

There  Dominies  are  fain  to  teach, 

Tho*  scrimpet  be  the  salary ; 
And  gif  they  play  the  sooking  leech, 

They're  whistled  down  wi'  raillery ; 
And  youths  there  be  'rnang  moorland  fells, 

Far  frae  a'  rural  Athens, 
Wha  pore  awa,  and  learn  themsells 

Wi  pleasure  and  wi'  patience, 

For  mony  a  day. 

But  ha !  The  croovie-skool  is  seen 

In  loop  o'  yonder  bum ; 
The  scraws  and  heather  keep  it  bein. 

The  bairns  wi*  cauld  ne'er  yum. 
Frae  out  its  conic  comic  lum, 

The  reek  is  thickly  rowing ; 
Within — hear  what  a  din  and  hum 

Frae  skolars  thickly  scrowing, 

A'  there  this  day. 

Adown  the  deep  snaw  wridy  glen. 

What  knots  are  coming  posting, 
How  merrily  they  onward  sten. 

And  o'  their  cocks  are  boasting  ; 
For  midden  cocks  het  frae  the  bawks. 

They  bring  to  daub  and  batter, 
And  may  be  some  for  a'  their  cracks 

Will  get,  and  what  the  matter. 

Their  licks  this  day. 

And  now  the  cme  is  panged  fu', 

On  binks  they  a'  are  seated. 
The  Dominie's  ay  glowering  through 

To  see  a'  kindly  treated ; 
He  waleth  ay  the  wee  anes  out, 

And  plants  them  roun'  the  fire ; 
The  big  anes  drive  the  jibe  about, 

The  de'il  the  ane  dis  tire, 

And  gaunt  this  day. 

Douce  Elder  John,  than  ca's  the  names. 

The  bamies  than  do  ease 
Their  pouches  wagging  by  their  wames, 

Wi'  their  intended  bleese ; 
Some  saxpence  brass — a  shilling  bit. 

And  some  gie  twa  or  three ; 


112  CAN CAN 


Gif  that  they  be  inclined  to  sit. 
As  king  and  queen  ye  see, 

Upon  this  day. 

And  o  peep  at  the  Dominie, 

Was  ever  monarch  gladder ; 
See  how  he  e*es  the  white  money, 

And  pockets  up  the  cauder ; 
Wi*  perfect  joy  the  body  smirks. 

And  fain  wad  fa'  a  laughing ; 
He  snirtles  wi'  his  neb  and  snirks, 

Than's  fluttering  and  laughing, 

Puir  cheel  this  day. 

Roun*  comes  in  jugs  on  whiteaim  traes. 

The  sweet  brewn  whusky  toddy ; 
**  Come  whomeld  owre,"  the  waiter  says, 

"Twill  hurt  na  honest  body;" 
Than  Carvie  Kebbuck  featly  cut 

In  sonsy  oblong  dasses, 
Wi*  bruckelie  scly  owre  the  glut. 

What  stiveron  this  surpasses, 

Nane — nane,  nae  day. 

O  *tis  a  noble  rustic  sight 

To  see  sae  mony  youths 
Their  Dominie  a  serving  right, 

While  he  sae  minds  their  mouths ; 
A  dram  is  worth  a  million  thanks, 

A  thousand  fluent  speeches ; 
For  in  the  breast  it  plays  its  pranks. 

While  they  the  heart  ne'er  reaches, 

On  sic  a  day. 

Ablins  amang  the  younkers  here. 

Just  pure  frae  nature's  glens. 
Some  may  be  heard  o'  yet  elsewhere. 

As  wondrous  fowk — wha  kens. 
A  patriot  stem,  a  poet  wild, 

A  Wallace  or  a  Bums, 
Sae  'mang  the  prodigies  be  stiled, 

But  time  makes  few  retums 

Like  them  ilk  day. 

Some  o'm  doubtless  wunna  fail 

O'  being  plowmen  strong, 
Or  fit  to  swing  the  weary  flail 

The  gloomy  wunter  lang; 
Or  some  may  chance  be  hardy  tars. 

And  swash  upon  the  ocean, 
Or  sodger  lads  for  bluidy  wars, 

To  fight  without  promotion. 

For  mony  a  day. 


CAN  CAN  113 


Nae  matter  tho'  they  now  a  ring 

Do  form  fu*  wide  and  braw, 
And  into  it  their  cocks  they  fling, 

The  chanticleers  do  craw  ; 
But  ablins  there  is  ane  o'm  game. 

Steel  spur'd  in  fighting  order ; 
Sae  some  sail  faes  he  soon  dis  tame. 

And  some  my  chap  dis  murder. 

Perchance  that  dav. 


The  battle  by,  again  the  punch 

Comes  sweiling  roun'  the  binks  ; 
The  eater  nulls  the  hearty  lunch, 

The  drinker  dreeps  and  drinks  ; 
The  fun  is  fairly  at  a  height, 

Nae  ceremonies  hamper, 
\Vi'  faces  red  and  hearts  fu'  light. 

They  out  and  hameward  scamper, 
\Vi'  glee  this  day. 


The  auld  fowk  left  now  closer  draw 

O'  care  their  sauls  unfankle. 
They  canna  lae  the  pig  ava 

While  it  sounds  pinklepankle  ; 
Whan  naething  mair  fra  it  dis  seep, 

Wi'  than  they  move  the  shank ie. 
And  bicker  through  the  glens  sae  deep, 

Fu'  jollock,  blythe,  and  swankie, 

Right  cheels  that  <Jnv. 


Cannlesmas  Bleeze, — That  offering  or  present  pupils  make 
to  their  "  Dominies  "  on  Candlemas-day.  Anciently  it  used 
to  be  a  large  candle,  one  that  could  give  a  good  "  If/azr  ;  " 
hence  the  name  ^^ bleeze ;''  now-a-days  ^^ hard  cash''  is 
thought  gives  as  pleasant  a  light. 

Cant. — A  little  rise  of  rocky  ground  in  a  highway ;  also  to 
"  cant "  anything  over,  is  to  tumble  it  off  the  perpendicular, 
or  over  it 

Canter. — The  motion  of  an  animal  between  the  trot  and 
gallop. 

Cantrips. — Witch  spells,  incantations,  or  the  black  art 
witches  use,  when  going  on  with  their  witcheries  :  various 
snatches   of   cantrip  rhyme  are   yet   afloat    on   the  atmos- 

H 


114  CAN      —  CAN 

phere  of  tradition,  not  unsimilar  to  what  Shakespeare  in- 
troduces in  his  tragedy  of  Macbeth.  Surely,  the  mighty 
bard  of  nature  had  been  no  stranger  to  Cantrips — with 
his — 

**Toil  and  trouble,  toil  and  trouble. 
**  Fire  bum,  and  cauldron  bubble." 

I  may  give  two  of  the  many  specimens  I  have  of  these 
curiosities — 

In  the  pingle  or  the  }xin 
Or  the  haumpan  o'  man, 
Boil  the  heart's  bluid  o'  the  tade, 
Wi'  the  tallow  o'  the  Gled  ; 
I  lawcket  kail,  and  hen  dirt, 
Chow'd  cheese,  an  chicken-wort  ; 
Yallow  pudtlocks  champit  sma*. 
Spiders  ten,  and  gellocks  twa  ; 
Sclaters  twall,  frae  foggy  dykes, 
Humbees  twunty,  frae  their  bykes  ! 
Asks  frae  stinking  lochens  blue. 
Ay,  will  make  a  l)etter  stue  : 
Bachelors  maun  hae  a  charm. 
Hearts  they  hae  fu'  o'  harm  : 
Ay  the  aulder,  ay  the  caulder. 
And  the  caulder  ay  the  baulder, 
Taps  sna  white,  and  tails  green, 
Snapping  maidens  o'  fifteen. 
Mingle,  mingle,  in  the  pingle. 
Join  the  cantrip  wi'  the  jingle  : 
Now  we  see  and  now  we  see. 
Plots  o'  ]X)aching  ane,  twa,  three. 

Such,  I  suspect,  is  a  cantrips  respecting  bachelors  and 
blackguards;  but  the  mysteries  in  it  are  not  to  be  seen 
through.  The  other  I  here  give,  is  much  of  the  same 
nature,   only  it  seems  more  concerned  with    the   female 


creation — 


Yirbs  for  the  blinking  queen, 
Secth  now  whan  it  is  e'en  ; 
IJoortree  branches,  yellow  gowans, 
Herry  rasps,  and  berry  rowans  ; 
De'il's  milk  frae  thrissles  saft. 
Clover  blades  frae  aff  the  craft  ; 
Binwud  leaves  and  blinmen's  baws. 
Heather  l)ells,  and  wither'd  haws  ; 
Something  sweet,  something  sour. 
Time  about  wi'  mild  and  dour  ; 


CAN CAR  115 

Hinnie  suckles,  bluidy  fingers, 
Napple  roots,  and  nettle  stingers ; 
Bags  o'  bees,  and  gall  in  bladders, 
Gbwks'  spittles,  pizion  adders  ; 
May  dew,  and  fiimarts'  tears, 
Nuol  shearings,  nowts*  neers, 
Mix,  mix,  six  and  six. 
And  the  Auld  maid's  cantrip  fix. 

Canty — Happy,  healthy,  cheerful,  &c. 

Cappernoited — Intoxicated,  giddy,  frolicksome,  &c. 

Cappin — A  piece  of  green  hide^  firmly  tied  to  that  half  of 
the  flail  called  the  '' soople^'  so  that  the  '' tnidkipple,'' 
another  piece  of  hide,  may  connect  it  to  the  other  half,  the 
^*  hand'Staffy  Flaxen-hair*d  Frank  was  the  boy  who  could 
both  tune  a  flail  and  3.  fiddle. 

Carle — An  old  tall  man  ;  also  a  tall  rustic  candle-stick. 

Carline — An  old  woman,  though  more  often  used  to  express 
some  supernatural  being. 

Carlines  Co* — ^A  very  small  cove  on  the  west  side  of  the 
river  Dee,  and  one  of  the  most  lonely  and  romantic  any 
where  to  be  seen.  When  the  bloody  Grier  d  Lagg  and 
the  Douglases  hunted  the  Covenanters  over  hill  and  dale, 
a  poor  man  of  the  name  of  Dixon  took  up  his  abode  in 
Carlines  Cd,  and  lived  the  whole  of  the  time  that  foul 
persecution  lasted,  on  the  shell-fish  he  gathered  on  the  sea- 
shore beside  him,  the  which  he  found  means  to  broil  on  a 
fire  by  night :  thus  he  eluded  the  foes  of  his  clan,  the  foes 
of  God  and  man.  The  mouth  of  the  cave  is  quite  covered 
with  brush-wood  ;  at  the  farther  end  or  benmost  bore  of 
it,  remains  yet  his  seat — a  square  sea-stone  :  on  it  I  ex- 
pected to  find  an  inscription  of  some  kind  or  other,  but  was 
deceived.  The  Assmidden,  and  other  remains  of  fire,  to  be 
met  with,  together  with  the  general  appearance  of  the 
cave,  lefl  no  doubt  on  my  mind  but  that  it  had  been  once 
inhabited,  and  for  a  considerable  time — 


ii6  CAR     CAR 


**  There  sat  the  lanely  trimmling  wight, 
**  Fear  hardly  let  him  draw  his  breath, 

**  For  every  hour  by  day  and  night, 
**  He  dreaded  that  he'd  meet  his  death. 

•*  A  day  o'  storm — a  night  fu'  black, 
**  War  seasons  whan  his  soul  had  ease  ; 

•*  Light  e*er  flung  him  on  the  rack, 
**  Grim  terror  did  poor  Dixon  tease. 

**  He  lang'd  na  for  the  brade  bright  moon, 
*•  But  wish'd  her  ay  ahint  a  clud  ; 

**  When  morning  came  he  griend  for  noon. 
**The  darker — less  his  heart  did  thud. 

**  Gif  that  the  heron  ga'e  a  scraigh, 
•*  While  staging  on  the  saunie  shore  ; 

**  Or  shelldrake  *mang  the  craigs,  a  squaigh, 
**  His  cauld  sweat  gush*d  frae  every  pore. 

**  He'd  shade  the  binwud  door  aside, 
•*  And  through  the  wunnock  sleely  peep  ; 

•*  And  whan  he  saw  nought  but  the  ticie, 
'*  He  hurkled  ben,  and  hauflins  fell  asleep.'* 


Carlins  o'  Cairnsmuir — A  poem  of  strange  Carlines. 

Come,  draw  roun'  the  ingle  ane  and  a'. 

And  our  merriest  tales  gae  tell : 
I^t  us  begin  wi'  the  norland  lad, 

The  lucky  Abram  Fell. 
The  true  heir  was  he  to  Dinwudie, 

That  braw  state  by  the  Tweed, 
Whar  mony  a  how,  lay  for  the  plough. 

And  hill  for  the  sheep  to  feed. 

Whar  hinnie  sweyd  down  the  whiteclaver. 

And  the  wallie  s  head  did  ben', 
Whar  the  herds  shoon  gathered  the  yellow  wax, 

And  the  nowt  did  fu'ly  fen' : 
For  the  wunter's  sna,  scarce  lay  ava, 

On  that  warm  and  beilie  grun. 
And  the  hie  leafd  tree,  on  Dinwudie, 

Ne'er  dreaded  the  gurly  wun. 

Now  Abram  he  was  luike<l  on 

As  a  gye  lucky  boy, 
To  be  the  only  ane  wha  wad. 

The  bonny  place  enjoy. 
The  lasses  a',  aroun'  the  ha', 

ITie  lairdies'  daughters  fair. 
Did  blink  on  he  their  blythest  e'e. 

And  dinked  wi'  ane  air. 


CAR  CAR  117 


But  whan  young  Abram  gaed  to  claim 

The  richts  to  his  estate, 
Than  he  did  learn  sic  unco  news 

As  made  him  luik  fu'  blate. 
His  Knbruch  scribe,  o'  the  black  gown  tribi:, 

Did  let  him  plainly  see. 
There  was  ane  skin,  they  cudna  fin, 

Some  deed  'bout  Dinwudie. 


And  o  !  the  want  o*  this  parchment. 

Did  hurt  young  Abram  sair  ; 
He  dawner'd  by  the  Pentlan'  hills. 

And  whripecl  through  despair. 
Sair  he  did  weep,  then  fell  asleep, 

And  soundly  snor'd  awa  ; 
And  he  did  dream,  as  it  might  seem. 

But  'twas  'bout  Gallowa. 


••  Get  up  !  get  up  I  '*  a  voice  did  say, 

**  And  gang's  the  wun  dis  bla', 
**  Till  thou  dis  fin  thysell,  Abram, 

**  In  bonny  Gallowa. 
'*  And  there  gae  dance,  a  while  wi'  chance, 

**  And  thou  shalt  meet  or  lang 
•*  Something,  my  dear,  thy  heart  will  cheer, 

'*  And  set  a'  right  that's  \*Tang." 


Sae  merrily  up  young  Abram  lap. 

The  wun  blew  frae  the  north. 
And  being  yaul',  he  soon  lost  sight 

O*  the  green  banks  o'  Forth. 
Ower  Enterkin  he  fast  did  rin, 

Through  Minniehive  and  a', 
And  soon  cam  he,  aside  the  Dee, 

In  bonny  Gallowa. 

He  gat  a  fishing- wnn'  and  fished 

The  Geds  wi  meikle  glee. 
And  wi'  a  gun  pirl'd  the  Muirfule, 

As  they  wad  whurrin*  flee. 
At  ilka  fair,  lo  he  was  there. 

And  wha  was  there  like  he, 
Wha  had  his  grace,  wha  had  hii  lace  ? 

A'  lo'ed  him  to  see. 


And  nane  did  lo'e  the  lad  die  mair 

Than  charming  Katie  Bell, 
'I'he  lovely  saul  amaist  ran  daft 

About  young  Abram  Fell. 
Her  e'en  war  blue,  that  lovely  hut, 

And  the  bonny  hair  had  she, 
In  siller  and  gowd,  it  glancin'  flow'd 

And  she  sang  wi'  melodee. 


ii8  CAR CAR 


Mang  the  fairy  dales  o*  Gallowa 

Nane  was  sae  fair  as  she. 
And  the  only  daughter  too  she  was 

O*  the  lairds  o*  Bumilee  : 
Ten  thousan'  poun',  he  cud  pay  down, 

Upon  her  wadding  day, 
But  wha  durst  gang,  and  court  there  tlirang, 

Nae  chiel  durst  niik  that  way. 


For  the  laird  did  think,  as  sae  he  micht. 

Her  match  cud  no  be  foun' ; 
Nae  lad  he  thought  sae  guid  as  her 

*Tween  the  sea  and  the  sun. 
An<l  whan  young  Abram  to  him  cam. 

He  thought  the  same  o*  he, 
A  broken  laird,  o'  sma'  regard. 

Did  please  na  Bumilec. 


**  Forsake  my  daughter  and  my  ha','' 

To  Abram  he  did  say, 
**  How  durst  ane  sneaking  beggar-boy 

**  Come  sae  far  af  his  way. 
**  Awa,  awa,  lea  Gallowa, 

**  She  hates  thy  fece  to  see, 
**  Click  up  ane  leg,  and  gang  and  b^, 

"  Brave  laird  o'  Dinwudie." 


Sae  glad  was  Abram  to  jump  on 

His  twa  steave  shanks  and  flee. 
As  fire  sprang  frae  baith  the  e'en 

O'  the  laird  o'  Bumilee. 
And  Katie  fair,  did  greet  fu'  sair. 

The  lad  glowr'd  roun'  to  see. 
And  saw  her  fast,  held  roun'  the  waibt, 

By  two  strong  chiels  or  three. 

Sweet  saul,  in  durance  she  was  laid, 

And  watched  nicht  and  day. 
And  ay  she  raved  'bout  young  Abram, 

In  the  chaumer  whar  she  lay. 
And  ay  she  cried,  and  ay  she  sigh'd, 

**  I'll  ne'er  wed  ane  but  he, 
**  \Vi'  him  in  rags,  ower  the  muir-hags, 

**  I  wad  beg  Imppilee.^" 


»» 


Sae  Abram  tuik  his  rod  again, 

And  fish'd  about  the  Dee, 
l^ut  o'  his  heart  was  unco  sair, 

'Bout  the  maid  o'  Bumilee. 
And  dull  he  turn'd,  he  bitter  moum'd. 

Then  brake  his  wan  in  twa, 
Gaed  doyl'd  about,  and  lay  without, 

Aniang  the  frost  and  sna'. 


CAR  CAR  119 

And  she,  for  a*  her  keepers  stride. 

The  bonny  Katie  Bell, 
Was  lost  ae  mom,  and  whar  she  was 

There  cudna  ane  o'm  tell. 
'ITiey  sought  her  far,  owre  heuch  and  scaur. 

And  up  and  down  the  Dee, 
At  last  they  cam,  to  whar  Abram, 

In  doolfu'  dumps  sat  he. 


Thev  questioned  him  gif  he  had  seen 

Tne  lovely  Katie  Itell, 
But  satisfaction  they  gat  nane 

Frae  the  doyl'd  Abram  Fell. 
Sae  frae  their  rout,  forfouchten  out, 

They  back  returned  a*, 
And  said,  "  they  had  sought  for  the  maid 

**  Ower  a*  wide  Gallowa." 


But  tho'  that  they  had  sought  the  >^'uds 

And  glens  yihir  warlocks  beek, 
ITiey  hadna  found'  sweet  Katie  Bell, 

Wham  they  had  gane  to  seek. 
Thev  now  despaired — likewise  the  laird. 

That  her  they'd  nae  mair  see, 
Sae  nought  but  grief,  without  relief, 

Was  heard  'bout  Bumilee. 


They  ne'er  thought  that  the  Carlins  had 

Convey'd  the  bloomin  bairn, 
To  their  grand  palace  in  the  muir, 

The  hie  muir  wi'  the  Cairn. 
Through  the  mirky  air,  in  their  arm-chair, 

The  damsel  they  did  ride, 
Until  they  came  to  their  house  o*  fame, 

Sae  elegant  and  uide. 

For  carpets  o*  queer  ureie  hues. 

Bespread  the  lightsome  floors  ; 
The  sillar  silk  did  co'er  the  wa's, 

And  gowden  hang  the  doors. 
And  music  rang,  and  minstrels  sang, 

Auld  Scotlan's  airs  sae  sweet. 
And  fairies  did  dance,  but  didna  prance, 

Wi'  airy  mettled  feet. 

But  tho'  they  nursed  dear  Katie  Bell 

Wi'  mair  than  Minnie's  care. 
And  gied  her  ay  the  best  o'  food, 

Whar  on  hersell  to  fare  ; 
She  pined  awa,  and  no  ava 

Cud  either  eat  or  sleep. 
But  aye,  alane,  wad  sab  and  mane, 

And  scaudin'  tears  wad  weep. 


124  CAR CAR 

Carry — The  motion  of  the  clouds,  a  driving  over  Heaven's 
face  before  the  wind ;  anciently  it  was  thought  spirits  carried 
them  so — see  more  of  this  in  the  article  Lift — 

"  Ne'er  a  star  peeps  through  the  carry ; "  hear  to  the  soft 
language  of  poor  Tannahilly  a  bard  or  songster  of  the  first 
kind,  who  drowned  himself  in  the  Clyde,  when  between  forty 
and  fifty  years  of  age,  in  a  fit  of  melancholy  despair.  Scot- 
land, for  all  the  warning  she  got  with  the  early  fate  of  Bums, 
and  for  all  the  stigmas  deservedly  piled  on  her,  for  his 
account,  also  shut  her  eyes  on  poor  TannahiU^  never 
changing  him  from  the  low  situation  of  a  Paisley  weaver — no 
wonder  that  his  tender  heart  could  not  withstand  this  treat- 
ment. I  here  give  three  verses  to  his  memory,  which  I  con- 
sider tolerable — 


Ha,  melancholy  mirky  wight, 

Grim  Heckler  o*  the  fee  ling  soul, 
Hast  thy  ow'rpow'ring  gloomy  night, 

On  our  sweet  sangster  set  sae  foul. 
The  tears  frae  nature's  watshod  e'en 

Row  murmuring  down  mony  a  rill, 
And  nought  is  heard  by  hillocks  green, 

But  doolfu'  wails  for  Tannahill. 

For  a*  the  charms  o'  tenderness, 

His  harmless  bosom  warmly  felt, 
And  thae  his  muse  did  sweet  express. 

His  melting  heart  made  ithers  melt. 
His  bonny  y^ssie  <?'  Dumblain^ 

Wi'  lo'e  auld  Scotia's  sons  dis  fill, 
E'en  Sleeping  Maggie  maks  us  fain', 

A  darling  bard  was  Tannahill. 

Tho*  gloomy  was  his  winter  here. 

And  tho'  his  friends  war  dowie  dull. 
The  Higklan  Laddie's  sangs  are  dear, 

He  was  ane  IJarper  time  frae  Mull. 
Bums  baith  can  make  us  laugh  and  weep, 

He  gars  our  hearts  exlatic  thrill, 
Wha  wi'  him  can  sweet  pathos  sweep, 

Xane,  nane  ava,  but  1  annahill. 


CARstLAN—  Level  loamy  land  by  a  river  side. 
Carson  s — Water-cresses. 


CAR CAR  121 


Sae  on  young  Abram  they  did  lead, 

Through  rooms  and  lobbies  gran'. 
And  grander  too  did  things  appear. 

Whan  he  cam  nearer  han\ 
What  shining  chairs,  what  flichts  o'  stairs, 

What  saft  beds  did  he  see. 
What  things  for  ease,  what  things  to  please, 

What  things  for  lug  and  e'e. 


At  length  he  to  a  winnock  came, 

It  was  a  winnock  braw. 
Through  it  was  seen  ilk  fertile  nuik 

O'  bonny  Gallowa. 
The  Nith,  the  Cree,  the  darling  Dee, 

War  seen  a  rowing  sweet. 
And  just  below,  did  wamplin  flow. 

The  Minnoch  and  the  Fleet. 


They  led  him  next  to  whar  in  state 

The  water  kelpies  were, 
And  sic  a  sight  he  ne'er  had  seen 

As  the  sight  he  saw  there. 
What  eerie  chiels,  war  thae  queer  de'ils. 

How  eldrich  sough'd  their  words. 
Their  vera  forms,  seem'd  made  for  storms, 

For  spates  and  faeming  fords. 


Neast,  to  a  place  mair  on  tae  east, 

He  was  let  ha'e  a  view, 
O*  wizzards,  witches,  warlocks,  and 

The  crooning  worriecow. 
And  boggles  queer,  whilk  he  did  fear, 

For  aHiis  bauldness  great. 
Ranked  in  raws,  wi'  tusky  jaws, 

Whilk  raised  the  cauld  sweat. 


And  brownies  too  wha  harried. 

Kind  farmers  mows  o'  com. 
They  thum|)ed  them  the  leelang  night. 

Then  dawner'd  there  at  mom. 
Thae  chiefs  he  did  see,  o'  the  swingin  tree. 

In  ane  strange  auld  chaumer  there. 
Their  claes  war  brown,  frae  the  heel  tae  crown, 

And  Strang  like  tykes  they  were. 

Ane  housefu'  was  it,  o'  as  odd  folk 

As  Abram  Fell  ere  saw. 
The  like  o't's  no  in  Scotlan',  nor 

In  countrees  far  awa. 
Whan  thus  he  had  seen,  the  C'arlin  C^ucen 

Her  tootin  horn  did  yell. 
Her  waiters  a'  then  fled  awa, 

And  quoth  she  to  Abram  Fell — 


122  CAR CAR 


**  Abram,  my  lad,  thou  hast  seen  a' 

"  The  fowk  wha  wi'  me  do  dwell ; 
•*  Thou  hast  seen  them  a'  but  ae  sweet  ane, 

•*  Ane  I  keep  for  thysell." 
Then  open  flew,  a  door  she  knew, 

And  m  gaed  Abram  Fell, 
There  met  alane,  his  lovely  ane. 

His  darlin'  Katie  Bell. 


What  joy  was  there,  what  true  love  there. 

What  claps  and  kisses  sweet. 
Whan  thae  twa  youthfu'  creatures  did 

Sae  unexpected  meet. 
How  thev  wad  talk,  how  they  wad  walk, 

How  tney  wad  warm  embrace. 
And  the  heavenly  smile,  just  a'  the  while. 

Adorning  ilka  face. 

Join  ban's,  join  ban's,  a  Carl  in  cried, 

And  a  queer  Carlin  was  she ; 
Join  ban's,  join  ban's,  for  now  ye  shall 

This  moment  married  be. 
They  joined  ban's,  in  wedlock  ban's 

'llie  loving  happy  pair, 
And  the  Canin  said,  be  not  afraid, 

Ve'U  never  synner  mair. 

And  she  fix'd  roim'  baith  their  wrists  a  l)ee 

O'  the  black  ivoree ; 
And  said,  as  lang's  ye  wear  this  bee, 

Yc'II  here  fin'  dwalling  free. 
Then  music  sweet,  to  mettled  feet. 

The  minstrel  fays  did  play. 
And  Abram  Fell,  and  Katie  Bell, 

Did  dance  wi'  ither  gay. 

Thus  did  they  spend  the  hinniemoon 

Wi'  meikle  mirth  and  glee. 
And  ae  day  Abram  gaed  to  sec 

The  Carlin's  libraree; 
W'har  auld  bulks  stood,  wrote  afore  the  flood, 

And  mony  a  charming  sang. 
To  the  light  lang  lost,  ance  Scotlan's  boast, 

Lay  there  i'  the  archives  thrang. 

W'hile  thus  he  read,  and  rummaged  awa, 

What  did  he  chance  to  fin*, 
Mang  mony  an  ither  auld  charter. 

But  his  ain  sair  sought-for  skin. 
ITie  richts  sae  free,  o'  Dinwudie, 

His  lairdship  by  the  Tweetl, 
Now  the  joy  o  our  twa,  was  nae  way  snia", 

Dc'il  hac  t  cud  it  exceed. 


CAR CAR  123 

They  bade  farewel  to  the  Carlins  kind, 

And  to  bonny  Gallowa, 
Then  posted  af  out  owre  the  hills 

To  the  norlan  warl  awa. 
Sae  Abram  Fell  and  Katie  Bell, 

And  their  frien's  lived  happie  a', 
Sae  Bumilee  and  Dinwudie, 

And  mair  befel  the  twa. 

Carlinwark  Loch — ^I'he  most  beautiful  sheet  of  water  in  the 
south  of  Scotland ;  and  if  we  except  Loch  Lomond,  Loch 
Katerine,  and  some  others  of  the  lovely  highland  lakes,  we 
have  nothing  to  match  the  Carlinwark  in  Scotia ;  and  even 
these  highland  lochs  are  rendered  more  beautiful  than  they 
are,  by  the  pen  of  Sir  Walter  Scott.  This  lovely  place  lies 
about  eighteen  miles  west  from  Dumfries,  beside  the  thriving 
little  village  of  Castle  Douglas. 

When  beheld  on  a  summer's  evening,  when  the  weather  is 

fine,  when  the  sweet  gay  lasses  are  out  strolling  on  its  banks, 

and  the  pupils  of  Isaac  Walton  out  in  boats  angling ;  when 

the  trees  on  the  woody  island  are  green,  and  the  blackbird 

whistling  amongst  them,  why  the  thing  becomes  Killamey  at 

once,  and  not  much  behind  Winander,  the  haunt  of  the  lake 

poets.     It  is  wonderful  indeed,  that  a  laker  or  two  does  not 

arise  about  the  Carlinwark,     I  have  heard  of  Gerrond  and 

KelvUy  but  what  are  these ;  they  have  both  a  little  of  the 

poet  about  them,  but  nothing  of  the  Wordsworth  and  Wilson 

school.     Show  Gerrond  a  flock  of  fat  wild-ducks  within  the 

range  of  his  swivel^  on  the  lake,  and  you  show  him  a  scene 

he  much  more  admires  than  quivering  sun-beams,  hues  of 

azure,  and  other  fine  things.     As  for  Kelvie,  he  might  give 

VIS  the  poem  of  the  Carlinwark  Loch. 

-^KRCAKES — Cakes  made  of  eggs  and  oatmeal. 

-A.11REEN — To  lean  to  a  side. 

-<*v  URiGES — The  religious  catechism. 

-^HRPiN — Teazing,  with  vexatious  talk. 


I 


124  CAR CAR 

Carry — The  motion  of  the  clouds,  a  driving  over  Heaven's 
face  before  the  wind ;  anciently  it  was  thought  spirits  carried- 
them  so — see  more  of  this  in  the  article  Lift — 

"  Ne*er  a  star  peeps  through  the  carry ; "  hear  to  the  soft 
language  of  poor  Tannahill^  a  bard  or  songster  of  the  first 
kind,  who  drowned  himself  in  the  Clyde,  when  between  forty 
and  fifty  years  of  age,  in  a  fit  of  melancholy  despair.  Scot- 
land, for  all  the  warning  she  got  with  the  early  fate  of  Bums, 
and  for  all  the  stigmas  deservedly  piled  on  her,  for  his 
account,  also  shut  her  eyes  on  poor  Tann€ihiU^  never 
changing  him  from  the  low  situation  of  a  Paisley  weaver — no 
wonder  that  his  tender  heart  could  not  withstand  this  treat- 
ment. I  here  give  three  verses  to  his  memory,  which  I  con- 
sider tolerable — 


Ha,  melancholy  mirky  wight, 

Grim  Heckler  o'  the  feeling  soul, 
Hast  thy  ow'rpow'ring  gloomy  night. 

On  our  sweet  sangster  set  sae  foul. 
The  tears  frae  nature's  watshod  e*en 

Row  murmuring  down  mony  a  rill, 
And  nought  is  heard  by  hillocks  green, 

But  doolfu'  wails  for  Tannahill. 

For  a'  the  charms  o'  tenderness. 

His  harmless  bosom  warmly  felt. 
And  thae  his  muse  did  sweet  express. 

His  melting  heart  made  ithers  melt. 
His  bonny  Jessie  o*  Dumblain^ 

Wi'  lo'e  auld  Scotia's  sons  dis  fill, 
E'en  Sleeping  Maggie  maks  us  fain*, 

A  darling  bard  was  Tannahill. 

Tho'  gloomy  was  his  winter  here. 

And  tho'  his  friends  war  dowie  dull, 
The  Highlan^  Laddie's  sangs  are  dear, 

He  was  ane  I  Jar  pet  true  frae  Mull. 
bums  baith  can  make  us  laugh  and  wee)>. 

He  gars  our  hearts  extatic  thrill, 
Wha  wi'  him  can  sweet  pathos  sweep, 

Nane,  nane  ava,  but  Tannahill. 


CARstLAN — Level  loamy  land  by  a  river  side. 
Carsons — Water-cresses. 


CAR CAS  125 

C  ARTES — Cards. 

Cast — A  throw,  a  turn,  a  change,  &c. 

Cast  o'   Corn — As  much  oats  as    a  kill  will  dry  at  once. 
Over  all  Galloway,  this  quantity  is  about  six  bolls. 

Castle  o'  Raeberry. — One  of  the  castles  of  the  family 
of  M*Lellan,  in  Galloway.  It  stood  on  a  promontory  on 
the  shores  of  the  Solway  Frith,  in  the  parish  of  Kirkcud- 
bright ;  steep  precipices  flanked  it  all  round,  except  the 
neck  towards  the  main  land,  and  cross  this  has  been  a  deep 
trench,  with  a  draw-bridge  over  it.  The  word  ^^  Berry,'' 
comes  from  the  German  ber^,  a  lofty  hill  or  mountain, 
and  quite  beside  it  is  one  of  these  large  hills;  for  all 
such  a  place  of  strength  as  this  castle  was,  it  was  not 
strong  enough  to  keep  out  Black  Douglas  of  Thrave ;  the 
tradition  respecting  his  capture  of  it,  is  here  told  in  an  old 
song.  It  seems  they  had  used  boats  about  it,  as  an  anti- 
quary lately  discovered  a  boatway,  cut  through  the  rocks 
beneath,  on  the  shore. 

RAEBERRY  CASTLE. 

I  met  wi'  a  man  the  ither  night, 

And  he  was  singing  fu'  merry, 
How  Black  Douglass,  the  bluidy  wight. 

Was  gonked  at  Raeberry. 

For  the  Maclellan  lap  ower  the  scaur 

Wi'  his  naig,  and  swam  the  ferry. 
He  snored  out,  owre  Bamhoury  Bar, 

And  left  far  ah  in  Raeberry. 

O  !  he  has  sail'd  the  Solway  sea 

Without  either  ship  or  wherry, 
And  saved  his  craig  frae  being  drawn,  did  he, 

Ower  the  castle-wa'  o'  Raeberry. 

For  curse  confound  the  de'il  o'  Thrave, 

His  neebors  he  dis  herry  ; 
But  Gallowa  will  never  be  his  slave, 

Nor  the  hraw  lonl  o'  Raeberr)-. 


126  CAS  ^  CAS 

Castle  o*  Thrave. — The  strongest  castle  in  Galloway,  and 
the  most  famous.  It  is  a  large  square  building,  with  horn- 
works,  on  an  island  in  the  river  Dee.  Francis  Grose,  the 
celebrated  antiquary,  gives  a  good  account  of  it  in  his 
Antiquities  of  Scotland.  It  was  anciently  an  infernal  place, 
and  many  were  the  foul  deeds  there  done ;  even  at  this 
day  one  shudders  to  inspect  it :  its  thick  walls,  narrow 
windows  and  staircases,  its  rooms  arch-roofed,  and  the 
dungeon  yet  remaining  in  perfection,  make  the  blood  freeze. 
I  have  seen  no  old  castle  (and  I  have  seen  now  a  good  many), 
which  conjured  up  scenes  of  ancient  barbarism,  and  murder, 
more  than  this  one  ;  it  seems  as  if  it  had  been  built  for  the 
sole  purpose  of  conducting  savage  deeds.  It  was  the  seat 
of  the  Black  Douglass^  one  of  the  most  horrible  devils 
that  ever  appeared  in  Scotland ;  he  made  his  very  king 
tremble  for  him,  and  hanged  M*Clellan,  Lord  Kirkcubrie, 
against  his  order. 

The  following  verses  of  poetry  I  may  here  give,  as  re- 
specting this  fellow,  and  his  Castle  d  Thrave^  or  Trief 
as  in  the  ancient  records  of  the  house  of  Kenmore  it  stands  ; 
probably  it  is  connected  with  reive — to  rob,  being  quite  a 
den  of  robbers  and  murderers  : — 


On  a  bonny  green  isle  in  the  water  o*  Dee, 
As  it  rows  frae  the  ken  to  the  Solway  sea, 
Stands  the  tower  of  the  baron,  the  fell  bluidy  knave, 
And  the  name  o'  his  keep  is  the  Castle  o'  Thrave. 

He  has  strung  Lord  Kirkcubrie  ower  his  castle  wa', 
The  worthy  M*Clellan  o'  wild  Gallowa  ; 
TTie  dumb  sough  o'  vengeance  we  hear  frae  his  grave. 
And  it  shall  be  answered  at  Castle  o'  Thrave. 

Mons  Meg  we'll  drag  out,  and  we'll  thunder  him  down, 
We'll  skelp  him  to  hell,  where  his  frien's  will  him  crown. 
We'll  show  him  what's  honour,  and  how  we'll  behave. 
By  dashing  destruction  on  Castle  o'  Thrave. 

Let  him  rally  his  rebels  through  a*  Gallowa, 
We  care  for  them  not,  we  shall  conquer  for  a' ; 
We'll  rush  on  our  faes  like  the  far-fetched  wave, 
And  sweep  to  damnation  the  Castle  o*  Thrave. 


CAS  CAT  127 

ASTiN  o*  Bees — Bees  are  said  to  be  "  casting'  when  they  are 
swarming.  Sometimes,  when  the  insects  are  in  this  state, 
they  fly  far  away  from  their  parents  before  they  hive  or 
alight,  in  spite  of  all  the  pistols  that  are  fired,  and  water 
that  may  be  thrown  amongst  them  by  their  watchers,  which 
is  the  cause  of  many  a  warm  race  to  the  rustics.  The  poem 
of  the  "  Bee  Hive  "  illustrates  a  haunt  of  this  kind.  See 
the  article  Broolzies. 

ASTIN  Peats — The  art  of  cutting  peats  out  of  a  moss  with 
?L peat-spade.  "Good  casters"  are  always  the  chief  men 
about  a  moss. 

ASTIN   Up — The  art  of  making  little  arithmetical    calcula- 
tions.    A  mower  once  regretted  to  me  that  he  had  not 
learnt  algebra  at  school,  for  then  he  could  have  "  cast  up 
jobs  on   the  nail  d  his  thumb"     Also,    *'^ castin  «^"  is  a 
mean  way  of  reproaching   persons,  by  reminding  them  of 
some  little  guilty  slip  in  "youth,"  or  of  some  crime  of  their 
ancestors.     Such  conduct  frequently  leads  to  serious  broils. 
A  man  on  horseback  came  up  with  another  rider  like  him- 
self, while  going  to  a  Dumfries  Rude  fair  once,  and  quoth 
the  one  who  overtook,   "  Whar  come  ye  frae,  gude  man, 
gin  ane  might  spear ; "    "  E*en  out  o'  the  parish  d  Coweriy' 
replied  he ;  "I  was  thinking  sae  (returned   the  first),  for 
like   a*  your  parish  fowk,   ye  sit  far  back  on   the  hinder 
part  o'  the  beast."      "  Ablins,  (quoth  his  companion)  and 
whar  come  ye  frae,  is  a  fair  question  for  you  now  to  an- 
swer."     "  O,  am  Mr.  K ,  of  R ,"  he  replied.     "  I 

lust  thought  sae  (quoth  the  Cowend  man),  for  I  see  the 
stedd  o*  the  gallows  that  hanged  Henry  Gregg,  on  your 
back."  On  casting  up  which  they  at  each  other  with  loaded 
T^hups,  and  the  forward  Mr.  K.  was  left  sprawling  on  the 
road. 

t^T — A  small  lump  of  manure. 


\ 


128  CAT CAU 

Cat  and  Clay — Straw  and  clay,  used  in  making  rude  parti- 
tions through  cottages. 

Catan — Tempting  to  battle,  by  poisonous  language. 

Catchie — Quick  at  taking  the  catch.  It  is  said  of  those 
expert  at  this,  "  That  if  they  war  as  keppie  as  catchie,  they 
would  make  gude  shepherd's  dogs." 

Catcraig — A  sugar-loaf  rock  in  the  River  Fleet,  covered  with 
juniper  bushes.  Tradition  says,  a  monster  of  a  wild-cat  was 
once  killed  on  it. 

Catkindness — Selfishness. 

Cat-lills — A  kind  of  punishment  inflicted  by  grown-up 
people  on  those  who  are  not  so.  It  is  done  by  pressing 
the  fore-finger  into  the  hollow  place  at  the  root  of  the  ear. 
I^t  all  beware  of  doing  this,  for  it  has  not  unfrequently 
been  the  cause  of  death,  the  cause  of  bursting  blood-vessels 
of  the  head. 

Cat  out  o'  the  Powk — A  phrase,  signifying  the  letting  out 
of  a  secret. 

Catstane — A  large  stone  placed  behind  rustic  fire-places. 
Catstran* — A  very  small  stream. 

Catwhuns — A  low  growing  ferny  species  of  whin,  good 
coverts  for  the  Scotch  wild-beasts. 

Catwutted — Of  a  savage  humour. 

Cauldrife — Cold-blooded  ;  also  easily  affected  with  cold. 

Cauldside  Sharpin-stanes — Stones  found  in  a  bum,  in  the 
farm  of  Caulside,  parish  of  Kirkmabreck,  famous  for  making 
hones  of,  to  sharp  edge-tools.  Tradesmen  tell  me  they  are 
before  the  best  "  Barskimming^^  or  Water  d  Ayr  stones,  and 
that  no  Welch,  nor  Non\'ay  "  Rag^'  can  give  an  edge  with 
them.     The  "//7? "  being  so  wonderful. 

Caull. — A  dam  cross  a  river,  made  on  purpose  to  raise  the 
water  for  mechanical,  or  other  concerns. 


CAU CAU  129 

!aum — A  mould  for  casting  bullets. 

AUMSHELL,  OF  Clamshell,  OF  Mayshell — A  bcautiful  white 
piece  of  shelly  or  boney  matter,  in  shape  somewhat  like  a 
lady's  slipper,  frequently  found  driven  in  upon  our  shores. 
It  is  reduced  by  no7ut  doctoi's  to  a  fine  powder,  and  blown 
through  the  hollows  of  quills  into  catties'  eyes  which  have 
motes  in  them,  such  dsflichters  0'  caff,  when  the  sharp  dust 
instantly  causes  the  animal's  optic  orb  to  be  flooded  with 
water,  so  that  it  winks  much,  and  by  so  doing,  cuts  the 
scum  and  obstruction  away.     What  these  bones  or  shells 
are,  like  many  things  else,  I  have  not  discovered,  nor  do  I 
know  that  any  have  :  some  say  that  they  are  formed  on  the 
breasts  of  certain  sea-fowl,  which  moult  them  now  and  then  ; 
others,  that  they  are  the  bones  of  a  fish  called  the  clamfish  ; 
and  others  again,  that  they  are  of  a  coral  nature.     I  would 
wish   to  know  what  some  great  naturalist  says  respecting 
them.     Linnaeus,  the  famed  Swede,  will  have  them  to  be 
the  scallop  shell  (ostrea  opercularis ),  and  to  this  clings  Dr. 
Jamieson,  the  great  Scottish  lexicographer,  a  person  whom 
no   Scotchman   can  praise   too  much,  who  has  given  the 
world  a  dictionary  unmatched  for   the  learning   and    anti- 
quarianism  contained  in  it ;   and  considering  that  nothing 
of  the  kind  but  some  few  glossaries  had  been  done  before, 
the  work  truely  becomes  a  wonderful  compend ;  yet,  as  to 
the    term    under    consideration    methinks,   with    all     due 
deference  to  the  Doctor,  that  it  is  not  of  kin  to  the  old 
French  word  clani€y  a  pilgrim's  mantle,  but  to  the  Galloway 
scaum — scum,  because  its  use  is  in  taking  the  scum  ofl"  eyes. 
Now,    in  Scotland   there  has  been  a  fashion  of  prefacing 
various  words  with  S  ;    as  S7vhirrls,  sturnills,  &c. ;  now  if 
this  letter  be  taken  off  scaum,  we  have  cauffij  which  is  the 
popular  name  by  which  the  shell  is  known. 

Caumstane — Fuller's  earth,  used  by  scourers. 

Caup — A  shallow  wooden  vessel. 

I 


132  CHA  CHA 

Chapmen's  Drouth — People  are  said  to  have  this  drouft/i, 
drought,  or  thirst  about  them,  when  they  are  not  only  in  need 
of  some  fluid  to  slake  it,  but  food  to  take  with  it  It  is  called 
the  chapmef^s  drmvth^  because  pedlers  of  a  low  class,  in  calling 
at  country  houses  to  vend  their  wares,  complain  often  to  gude 
wives  that  they  are  dr(nvth}\  which  means,  if  they  have  any 
food  to  spare  in  the  pantry,  they  will  not  cast  out  with  a  cull 
or  piece  of  it. 

Chapmen's  Slaughter — There  is  a  lump  of  stones  in  the 
north  end  of  the  parish  of  Borgue,  termed  so,  as  two  "  chap- 
men boys,'^  coming  from  a  fair  once,  disputed,  and  slew  each 
other  there,  by  stabbing  with  pen  knives. 

Chappie — A  name  for  a  young  man. 

Chappit — Choppit.  "  He  chappit  a  bargain,"  he  struck,  he  chop- 
pit  a  bargain.  No  bargain  stands  good  unless  hands  be  chop'd 
over  it;  the  buyer's  hand  must  be  slapped  into  the  seller's,  then 
a  purchase  is  made ;  in  truth,  this  ceremony  seals  the  matter. 

Charkin — Speaking  like  pyets,  or  weazles. 

Charlie — Charles. 

Charnle-pins — The  pins  on  which  the  hinges  of  machinery 
turn.  A  man  is  said  to  miss  his  charnle-pins,  when  he  is  so 
intoxicated  with  spirits  that  he  cannot  "  stand  steave  in  his 
shoon,"  so  fou  that  he  loses  the  centre  of  gravity,  and  ^aes 
heels  owre  gowdie. 

Chaumer — A  chamber,  from  old  French  chaumere,  a  little 
hut.  This  chaumer,  or  chammer,  was  a  kind  of  detached 
room  of  the  farm-houses  of  yore  :  here  slept  all  the  young 
men  belonging  to  the  family.  The  chaumer,  as  it  were, 
was  their  apartment,  the  place  they  could  call  'their  own  ; 
in  it  were  their  beds  and  kists,  what  not.  This  was  the 
place  of  all  merriment ;  thither  came  crannies  to  see 
crannies ;  here  were  lasses  brought  by  their  ^oes  and 
courted ;  here  the  country  clash  sounded ;  here  were  songs 


( 


CHA  CHA  131 

as  it  were  upon  the  ice,  that  they  have  had  their  name  from 
this.  It  is  hard  to  say  which  is  right ;  so,  I  shall  content 
myself  by  saying,  that  there  is  not  a  more  manly  or  a  better 
game  played  on  the  earth  than  the  channlestane, 

Chanrock — A  channel  of  round  stones. 

Chanty  Pot — A  chamber  pot. 

Chap  and  Chuse — ^To  select. 

Chapmen — Pedlers,  Hawkers,  &c.  Scotland,  £unous  for 
many  things,  is  also  famous  for  her  pedlers.  Anciently, 
the  Scottish  pedlers  in  Poland  were  a  respectable  body ; 
now  they  keep  nearer  home,  and  travel  about  in  England, 
and  in  general,  are  a  class  very  highly  thought  of;  neither 
Englishmen  nor  Irishmen  make  such  pedlers  as  they : 
indeed,  the  English  try  it  a  little,  but  not  so  the  Irish,  and 
an  Irish  pedler  is  always  as  mean  a  looking  object  as  is  to 
be  met  with ;  the  wares  he  hawks  are  of  the  lowest  kind, 
in  truth,  he,  knows  not  the  proper  way  to  shoulder  a  bundle. 
Scotsmen  are  naturally  fond  of  this  business ;  for  why, 
they  detest  slavery.  A  young  Scotsman  of  spirit,  before 
he  will  be  bowed  down  with  his  nose  in  the  earth,  and 
become  a  labourer  to  his  superiors,  will  be  a  pedler.  He 
is  then  soon  his  own  master,  and  the  business  being  of  a 
wandering  nature,  leads  him  to  see  curiosities,  a  thing  the 
sons  of  the  north  are  fond  of;  and,  after  acquiring  some 
money  at  the  trade,  he  leaves  it  for  something  of  a  more 
honourable  name.  Thus  then,  it  is  no  discredit  to 
Scotsmen,  the  pedling  trade.  I  know  not  of  any  other 
which  can  match  it,  as  a  stepping  stone  for  young  men  of 
common  talents,  that  they  may  leap  on  to  from  a  humble 
situation,  and  from  thence  to  something  better. 

Chapmen's  Bed — A  bed  reserved  in  farm-houses  for  the  use 
o{  chapmen^  and  other  wanderers. 


132  CHA  CHA 

Chapmen's  Drouth — People  are  said  to  have  this  drowih, 
drought,  or  thirst  about  them,  when  they  are  not  only  in  need 
of  some  fluid  to  slake  it,  but  food  to  take  with  it.  It  is  called 
the  chapmen's  drmcth,  because  pedlers  of  a  low  class,  in  calling 
at  country  houses  to  vend  their  wares,  complain  often  to  gude 
wives  that  they  are  droiothy,  which  means,  if  they  have  any 
food  to  spare  in  the  pantry,  they  will  not  cast  out  with  a  cuil 
or  piece  of  it. 

Chapmen's  Slaughter — There  is  a  lump  of  stones  in  the 
north  end  of  the  parish  of  Borgue,  termed  so,  as  two  "  chap- 
men boysy^  coming  from  a  fair  once,  disputed,  and  slew  each 
other  there,  by  stabbing  with  pen  knives. 

Chappie — A  name  for  a  young  man. 

Chappit — Choppit.  "  He  chappit  a  bargain,"  he  struck,  he  chofh 
pit  a  bargain.  No  bargain  stands  good  unless  hands  be  chop'd 
over  it;  the  buyer's  hand  must  be  slapped  into  the  seller's,  then 
a  purchase  is  made;  in  truth,  this  ceremony  seals  the  matter. 

Charkin — Speaking  like  pyets,  or  weazles. 

Charlie — Charles. 

Charnle-pins — The  pins  on  which  the  hinges  of  machiner)- 
turn.     A  man  is  said  to  miss  his  charnle-pins^  when  he  is  so 
intoxicated  with  spirits  that  he  cannot  "  stand  steave  in  his 
shoon,"  so  fou  that  he  loses  the  centre  of  gravity,  and  goes 
heels  owre  gaivdie. 

Chaumer — A   chamber,   from  old   French  chaumere^  a  little 
hut.     This  chaumer^  or  chammer,  was  a  kind  of  detached 
room  of  the  farm-houses  of  yore :  here  slept  all  the  youn^ 
men   belonging   to  the  family.     The  chaumer,  as  it  were  ^ 
was  their  apartment,  the  phce  they  could  call  'their  own 
in  it  were  their  beds  and  kists,  what  not.     This  was  th^^' 
place    of   all    merriment ;    thither   came    cronnies    to    se^^ 
cronnies ;    here  were  lasses   brought    by    their    yoes    an< 
courted ;  here  the  country  clash  sounded ;  here  were  son| 


CHA  CHE  133 

sung,  tales  told,  dams  played;  here  the  gude  man  or  gude  wife 
seldom  made  their  appearance,  unless  they  were  given  to 
mirth;  and  many  old  men  of  cheerful  natures  preferred 
sitting  in  the  chaumcr  ateen,  to  any  other  place  about  the 
house.  To  close  though,  I  do  not  know  that  we  have  so 
much  fun  and  hilarity  now  as  our  forebears  had  in  the 
chaumers  d  auld  iang  sym, 

Chawchlin — Eating  like  a  swine. 

Chawlin — Eating  in  a  sickly  manner. 

Chawner — To  talk  much  and  whine. 

Cheek  for  Chow — Tete-a-tete ;  cheek  by  jole. 

Cheel — A  man ;  a  male  person. 

Cheep — To  cry  as  some  birds. 

Cheepock — The  female  Nymphae. 

Cheeseclout — The  cloth  wherein  cheeses  arc  made. 

Cheesegird — A  girth  which   is   put   round  cheese   when   a 
making. 

Cherok-okie-ok — The  lark's  first  note,  in  a  May  morning — 

Cherokee-okee-okee 
Sang  the  lark,  as  she  did  flee 
Up  amang  the  cluds,  and  sing 
Ae  bonny  sunny  day  in  spring. 
The  sang  a  bardie  did  translate, 
The  sang  did  rin  this  vera  gate — 

Now  is  the  season  for  me, 

ITie  rest  I  care  little  about ; 
I  can  sing,  I  can  soar  now  wi'  glee, 

My  note  and  my  wings  they  are  stout. 

Not  as  when  the  winter  winds  blaw, 

And  freeze  my  Iang  tae  to  the  so<i, 
Whan  aft  through  the  nights  in  the  snaw, 

I  maun  tak  up  my  cauller  abode. 

Higher  yet  shall  T  soar  i'  the  sky, 

My  dewy  breast  dry  in  the  sun. 
Then  down  on  the  sclent  i»hall  I  fly. 

And  to  my  warm  nest  I  shall  run. 


134  CHE    CLA 

Cheesle — The  moulding  dish  wherein  cheeses  are  cast 
"  Never  jump  out  o*  the  cheesle  ye  hae  been  chirted  in,"  is  a 
favourite  proverb,  and  means,  that  though  fortune  may  smile 
on  us,  let  us  not  forget  the  humble  way  in  which  we  were 
bred. 

Chimlalug — The  cheek  of  the  fireplace. 

Chi R KIN — Making  a  noise  as  the  adder  sometimes  does. 

Chirkle — To  grind  the  teeth  on  other,  as  sheep  are  in  the 
habit  of  doing. 

Chirms — Small  bastard  fruit. 

Chirpers — The  insects,  house  crickets;  when  they  leave  a 
house  on  a  sudden  it  forebodes  evil,  when  they  visit,  the 
reverse. 

Chirrin — The  noise  grasshoppers  make  in  sunny  weather; 
they  do  it  by  rubbing  their  thighs  quick  against  the  body. 

Chirt — To  squeeze. 

Chitterie — Small  backward  fruit,  or  small  bad  potatoes. 

Chitterin — Trembling  with  cold,  so  that  the  teeth  chatter  on 
other. 

Chitfle — To  shell  oats  as  birds  do. 

Chittler — A  small  bird  of  the  tit-mouse  species. 

Chollers — Lumps  of  fat  beneath  the  chin — double  chins. 

Chow — To  chew ;  also  a  quid  of  tobacco. 

Chowks — The  upper  parts  of  the  throat. 

Chucks — A  game  with  marbles  played  by  girls. 

Chucky — A  name  for  a  hen ;  also  the  henwife's  call  for  the 
poultry. 

Chuffy — Fat,  chubby,  &c. 

Chulders — The  same  with  Chollers. 

Chuns — The  spring  or  ^^  sprootings^^  of  potatoes. 

Clabber — Any  soft  dirty  matter. 

Claggy — Cloggy,  sticking,  &c. 


CLA CLA  135 

Claith — Cloth. 

Clampin — Tramping  after  a  noisy  manner. 

Clan — A  tribe  which  holds  together. 

Clanch — A  mannerless  man,  given  to  eating  in  the  swinish 
stile. 

WULL  HULLYOCH. 

Wull  Hullyoch  was  as  big  a  clanch 

As  'ere  was  kend  by  ony  Ixxly  ; 
Rasps  and  crabs  he  up  wad  cranch, 

His  haums  wi'  slawk  and  sludge  war  muddy. 
The  slunyoch's  visage  was  fu'  ruddy, 

His  sillar  up  in  meat  heM  hanch, 
WTiilk  keep'd  his  hurdies  unco'  duddy, 

The  beast  had  sure  a  strong  digestive  panch. 

\Vhan  bacon  in  the  pan  did  crack, 

And  gravie  deep  aroun'  did  sotter, 
'llien  Wull  his  fipples  red  wad  smack. 

He  smell'd  the  imry  like  an  otter. 
And  on  the  scent  awa  wad  hotter. 

And  sae  hae  at  the  roast  a  snack  ; 
He'd  glutt  a  cargoe  till  his  knees  wad  totter, 

It  took  a  disk  his  pechan  out  to  rack. 

A  greedy  gormandizing  cheel 

Has  been  detested,  and  will  be  for  ever, 
They  wi'  the  kyte,  belike  the  swauld  woocreel. 

Dear  modesty  is  seen  to  suffer  never. 
For,  let  a  fallow  ever  be  sae  clever, 

This  gies  his  character  the  bursen  seal, 
Whilk  frae  his  name  he'll  ne'er  be  fit  to  sever. 

'Twill  dog  his  hatefu'  carcase  to  the  De'il. 

Clanjamphry — A  worthless   blackguardish  crew  of   people, 
throngest  still  on  the  Lord's  day. 

Clanter — A    jarring    noise,   such   as  proceeds    from    clogs 
walked  about  with  in  a  house. 

Clapper  o'   a   Mill — The   tongue  of  the  mill ;   beside  the 
hopper^  set  in  motion  when  the  mill  is  set  in  motion. 

Clappin — Foundling,  toying,  &c. 

Clarried — Besmeared  with  mud. 

Clartie — Dirty  with  mud. 


136  CLA  CLE 

Clashbag — A  person  full  of  low  mean  stories. 

Clashes — I^w,  idle,  scandalous  tales. 

Clash MACLATERS — The  same  with  Clashes, 

Clatch — To  besmear  with  mud. 

Claiterbag — The  same  with  Clashbag;. 

Clatter-banes — Those  bones  which  move  when  we  chat 

Clauchan  Pluck  —  A  village  of  the  genteel  name  of 
Lawriston.  It  is  seated  in  the  moorlands,  has  learning  and 
peat-stacks  about  it ;  and  has  turned  out  on  the  world  some 
wonderful  characters. 

Claut — An  implement  used  in  cleaning  office  houses,  roads, 
streets,  &c.  It  has  a  broad  semi-circular  mouth,  placed 
vertical  to  the  shaft.  A  young  fellow,  who  had  been  out  of 
the  country  a  little  while,  pretended,  when  he  came  back, 
to  know  nothing  of  the  mother  country  :  even  this  tool, 
which  was  reclining  against  a  wall,  its  name  seemed  to  have 
fled  his  memory.  "  Come,  what  devil  do  ye  call  this,"  said 
he  to  his  rustic  friends,  laying  his  foot  rashly  on  the  mouth 
of  it,  when  the  shaft  sprang  up,  and  hit  him  in  the  face. 
"  O  !  d — m  the  claut^^  he  exclaimed,  not  waiting  for  an 
answer  from  his  humble  companions ;  the  name  striking 
him  by  a  strange  association. 

Clavers — Nonsense. 

Claws-crunts — Old  trees,  which  cattle  rub  themselves  against 

Clay'd  Up — Eyes  are  said  to  be  so  when  boxing  has  blinded 
them. 

Cleck — Idle  chat. 
Cleedin — Clothing. 

Clepps — Pieces  of  bended  iron,  used  for  hanging  pots  on 
fires. 


CLE  CLO  137 

Cleppie  Bells — People  of  the  name  of  Bells,  who  aided 
anciently  the  persecution  of  two  Christians  on  the  sands  of 
Wigton.  They  tied  them  to  stakes  on  the  sand,  and  left 
them  to  perish  with  the  coming  tide.  When  asked  how  the 
poor  wretches  behaved,  when  the  sea  was  coming  foaming 
about  them,  they  said,  "  that  they  clepped  round  the  stobbs 
like  partons,  and  prayed,"  viz.  wreathed  round  the  stakes; 
after  which  saying,  they  were  always  called  "  CleppU  BettSy^ 
and  the  fingers  of  their  hands  grew  strangely  together,  which 
deformity  yet  attends  their  race. 

Cleuchs — Wild  steep  woody  glens,  the  abode  of  foxes,  owls, 
and  other  such  animals. 

Clicky — A  turned  headed  staff ;  also,  to  be  quick  at  catching. 

Cliens — Small  heaps  of  stones. 

Cliers — Thick  saliva,  which  obstructs  the  windpipe. 

Climpets — Sharp  pointed  rocks. 

Climpie — A  person  with  a  strange  lameness. 

Clinch — ^To  halt,  to  walk  on  one  foot 

Clinken  Co*s — Caverns  which  make  a  tinkling  noise  when 
stones  are  thrown  into  them. 

Clinker — A  blow. 

Clints — Little  awkward  lying  rocks. 

Clip — To  cut  with  scissars. 

Clipe — A  person  scanty  of  good  manners,  who  has  little 
in  him,  as  the  people  say,  but  what  the  "  Ram-horn  spoon 
puts." 

Clippie — A  person  with  too  neat  cut  clothes. 

Clochers — Mucous  matter  which  is  coughed  out  of  the 
throat ;  thick  phlegm,  termed  by  some  fat  spittles ;  the 
sound  a  person  emits  when  throwing  out  Clochers ^  is  too 
called  clochering. 


ii;8  CLO CLU 


o 


Clockin  Hens — Hens  which  are  or  have  been  hatching; 
to  scare  them  from  clocking,  gude  wives  plunge  them  into 
cold  water. 

Clocks — Beetle  insects. 

Cloddochs — The  same  with  Cliens, 

Cloddthumpers — Rollers. 

C logos — Wooden  shoes,  iron  bound ;  they  are  all  num- 
bered according  to  size.  Ploughmen  generally  use  ** tens;' 
so,  in  the  country,  cloggs  are  not  unfrequently  called 
"  tcnsr 

Cloited — Fell  easily. 

Clooter — The  noise  a  bad  delivered  channle-stone  makes 
on  ice. 

Cloots — Hoofs. 

Clotchd — Sat  in  the  broadest  and  most  slovenly  way. 

Clout — A  slight  blow. 

Cluddy  Wather  —  Cloudy  weather.  The  colour  of  the 
sky  rules  the  colour  of  the  sea ;  if  the  sky  be  a  deep  blue, 
the  sea  is  a  deeper ;  the  denser  the  medium  the  darker  the 
hue.  The  sea  at  no  time  is  of  a  more  sable  hue  than  when 
the  land  is  covered  with  snow,  and  sky  loaded  with  black 
clouds. 

Clues — Balls  of  winded  thread.  Witches  had  their  "^/i^ 
clues ^^^  to  aid  their  necromancy.  One  at  the  stake  going 
to  be  burned,  on  the  Barhill  beside  Kirkcudbright,  said,  if 
they  would  bring  her  "  her  ain  blue  due,  which  she  had 
forgot  a  hame,"  that  she  would  lay  open  her  art.  The 
clue  was  produced,  she  took  one  end  of  it  and  flang  it  into 
the  air,  and  after  muttering  a  few  words,  vanished  in  a 
moment.  To  win  the  blue  clue  in  the  killpot  on  hallo- 
ween,  was  a  serious  matter  before  Burns  made  the  world 
laugh  at  it. 


CLU  COC  139 

Clunk — That  noise  which  is  produced  when  a  cork  is  drawn 
out  of  a  bottle. 

Cluster  o'  Stars — The  constellation  of  Orion,  to  the  naked 
eye  there  seems  to  be  no  such  obvious  cluster  of  stars  in  our 
hemisphere  as  this ;  so  has  been  particularized  by  country 
people  in  all  ages. 

Clutter — A  piece  of  bad  stone  building,  particularly  if  it  be 
"  dry  ware  wark^ 

Co'— Cove. 

CoAGiN  Sheep — Shearing  the  wool  from  off  their  necks  before 
the  great  days  of  sheep  dipping  come  on  ;  this  is  done  for  the 
purpose  of  saving  that  wool  which  would  otherwise  fall  off 
before  the  season  mentioned. 

CoALLs — Little  hay  cocks. 

Co*  o*  Caerclauch — One  of  the  most  celebrated  coves  in 
Galloway;  it  seems  to  have  been  used  as  a  subterranean 
castle  by  our  forefathers  ;  a  clauch  or  dauchan,  or  small  vil- 
lage, as  secure  as  a  caer  or  castle ;  so  the  literal  meaning  of 
the  whole  may  be,  "  the  cove  of  the  armed  or  defended 
village."  Tradition  says,  that  no  human  eyes  ever  beheld 
the  back  side,  or  farthest  extremity  of  this  cave  ;  that  a  dog 
once  went  in  at  its  mouth  and  came  out  at  the  door  d 
Cairnsmoor,  a  place  nearly  ten  miles  from  it ;  and  when  the 
tyke  did  come  out  he  was  found  to  be  all  sung  (singed),  as  if 
he  had'passed  through  some  fire  ordeal  or  other. 

Cobb — A  blow. 

CoBBiN  Ewes — Shearing  the  wool  from  off  their  udders,  so 
that  their  lambs  may  freely  get  to  the  teats  to  suck. 

Cobbles — Large  sea-beach  stones. 

CocKABENDiE — I  dare  hardly,  for  the  sake  of  modesty,  explain 
this  term;  when  such  is  seen  to  be  the  case,  readers  may 
make  a  rough  guess  what  it  is. 


I40  COC COG 

Cock  and  Pail — Spigot  and  faucet 

CocKAWiNNiE — The  method  of  carrying  persons  with  a  leg 
over  each  shoulder. 

CocKE*E — The  circles  which  surround  the  "Tee,"  or  mark 
played  at  in  curling. 

CocKFAiR  o'  Drumaddie — The  name  of  a  fair  which  never 
existed,  but  yet  is  frequently  talked  about.  When  a  farmer, 
for  instance,  has  unsaleable  goods  in  his  possession,  he  is 
bid  take  them  to  this  fair ;  when  persons  a  bargain-making, 
cannot  'agree,  they  tell  others  that  they  will  at  this  fair ;  and 
when  a  young  woman  cannot  get  a  husband,  she  is  told  that 
her  only  chance  is  at  this  place;  so  imagination  has  some 
use  for  the  Cockfair  d  Drumaddie, 

CocKOLEARV-LAV — The  cock's  matin,  or  morning  crow. 

Cock's  Eggs — WTien  hens  are  about  to  give  over  laying,  they 
lay  small  eggs  like  dove  ones ;  these  are  said  to  be  produced 
by  the  cock,  there  is  no  yolk  in  them. 

CocKUM — A  name  for  the  cock. 

Codger — A  hearty  old  fellow. 

CoDSLip — A  linen  bag  in  which  are  put  pillows. 

CoGG — Any  flat  surface  not  lying  horizontal,  is  said  to  be  a 
co^.     An  old  carter,  fond  of  whisky,  would  often  bid  the 
bawbee  with  his  horse,  to  know  whether  it  should  have  ^y- 
stimpert  of  corn,  or  he  one  of  grog;  one  cold  day,  lr}'ing  th  ^ 
turn  of  fortune  this  way,  the  luck  fell  on  the  side  of  the  poo- 
beast,  when  he  bawled  out,  "  That 's  no  fair ;  that  *s  a  cogg  : 
so   he   bir/'d  away,  until  the   luck  came  to  his  side — th^ 
inhuman  wretch. 

Coggle-te-Carrv  —  The  amusement  with  the  board  laic:-^ 
over  the  fulcrum ;  a  person  gets  on  to  each  end  and  hairs 
an  undulating  ride. 

Cogglie — Unstable. 


COL  COR  141 

Cole — ^To  dress  by  cutting. 

Colly — A  dog ;  also  a  coward. 

CoLLYSHANGY — A  woiTy  either  with  dogs  or  men. 

Common  Corn — Oats  of  that  kind  where  each  grain  hangs 
by  itself  upon  the  stalk;  not  like  the  other  kind  termed 
^^ potatoe  corn^^  where  two  grains  always  hang  together ; 
there  is  little  of  this  "  common  corn "  now  used :  the  other 
kind  just  mentioned  has  superseded  it,  as  thought  to  be  both 
more  prolific  and  ^^  early ^^  which  has  caused  the  other 
^^ common^*  over  all  the  land  anciently,  to  be  now  branded 
with  the  epithet  of  ^^  late  corn^ 

CoNGLUMRiFiED — Conglomerated — stupified  with  a  mixture  of 
many  foolish  thoughts  when  applied  to  man,  as  it  generally  is. 

CooL-STANE — A  stone  whereon  the  famous  Laird  0'  Cool 
(whose  ghost  will  afterwards  be  spoken  of)  used  to  sit ; 
it  is  in  the  farm  of  Cool^  parish  of  Buittle,  and  no  man 
dare  touch  it.  A  bold  mason  once  would,  but  as  the 
people  say  of  him,  "  he  had  never  after  anither  day  to  do 
weel ;"  he  fell  under  it,  and  got  his  bones  almost  squeezed 
to  a  mummy, 

CooTi  K  INS — Spatterdashes. 

CooTLE — To  make  a  noise  like  ducks,  when  they  are  talking 
to  each  other. 

Coots — Ancles. 

Corby — The  raven.  This  is  one  of  our  most  singular  birds  ; 
he  seems  to  feel  more  pleasure  in  flying  than  any  other, 
and  goes  through  many  antics  in  the  air,  tumbling  himself 
on  his  back  frequently ;  he  cares  nothing  about  storms,  and 
in  fine  calm  days  he  will  on  wing  circle  often  the  top  of 
some  high  hill ;  his  nature,  however,  is  very  savage,  and 
when  domesticated,  as  he  easily  is,  he  prides  himself  in 
doing  all  the  devilry  he  can. 

CoRKiN-PREEN. — A  large  pin. 


142  COR COT 

CoRKLiT. — A  whitish  kind  of  fog,  used  in  dying;  it  is  taken 
from  rocks,  and  feels  like  cork-wood,  hence  ^^ cork"  the 
name,  and  "//'/"  being  a  dye. 

CoRNCLocKS. — Beetles  common  amongst  corn. 

CoRNCRAiK. — ^The  bird  Landrail;  its  young  ones  are  black, 
and  they  run  among  the  grass  like  as  many  mice. 

Corn K  1ST. — A  chest  to  hold  com,  common  in  stables. 

Corns. — Circular  stones  about  two  feet  diameter,  used  for 
grinding  malt,  and  anciently  other  things,  before  the  inven- 
tion of  water-mills. 

Corse — Cross.     Saxon. 

Corse  o'  Slakes — Cross  of  rocky  hills.  Slakes^  in  Saxon, 
meaning  rocky  hills,  or  rocky  brows.  In  Galloway  there  are 
no  roads  so  wild  as  the  one  which  leads  over  the  celebrated 
pass  of  the  above  name,  between  Cairnsmoor  and  Cairn- 
hattie  ;  it  is  a  perfect  Alpine  pass,  and  was  a  haunt  of  Billy 
Marshall  and  his  gang  in  the  days  of  yore ;  even  yet  it  is 
frequently  selected  as  a  suitable  station  for  the  "  bludgeon 
tribe." 

CoRSiCROWN — A  simple  game.  A  square  figure  is  divided  by 
four  lines,  which  cross  other  in  the  crown  or  centre ;  two  of 
these  lines  connect  the  opposite  angles,  and  two  the  sides  at 
the  points  of  bisection ;  two  players  play,  each  has  three  men, 
or  flitchers ;  now  there  are  seven  points  for  these  men  to 
move  about  on,  six  on  the  edges  of  the  square,  and  one  at 
the  centre,  the  fnen  belonging  to  each  player,  are  not  set 
together  as  at  draughts^  but  mingled  with  other;  the  one 
who  has  the  first  move  may  always  have  the  game,  which  is 
won  by  getting  the  three  men  on  a  line. 

Cosh — Snug,  happy,  &c. 

CoTMAN — A  cottar,  one  who  lives  in  a  cottage,  a  bound 
servant  to  a  farmer ;  this  man  is  always  looked  on  as  the 
second  in  command  about  a  farm-house;   he   receives   his 


COT  COW  143 

wages,  or  what  is  termed  his  benefit,  not  in  hard  cash,  as 
other  servants  do,  but  in  meal,  barley,  potatoes,  or  what 
not;  the  keeping  of  a  cow,  or  cow's-grass ;  he  is  the  most 
useful  of  all  servants,  because  the  most  settled;  he  interests 
himself  more  in  his  master's  affairs,  and  looks  after  his 
property  as  if  it  were  his  .own,  and  generally  fills  his 
station  very  respectably. 

CoTTRiLL — A  nail  in  the  head  of  a  plough,  by  which  it  is 
drawn. 

CouK— To  sort,  to  arrange,  &c. 

CouM — Culm,  refuse,  dust,  &c.     See  ^^ Peat coum'' 

CouMMiE  Edge — ^The  edge  of  a  tool  is  said  to  be  so  when  it 
does  not  seem  to  be  good  steel,  nor  well  polished. 

Coup — To  overturn. 

CouTHY — Frank,  agreeable,  &c. 

Cow — A  besom. 

Cowans — Those  who  would  wish  to  know  the  mysteries  of  free 
masonry,  without  being  regularly  initiated,  a  thing  both  mean 
and  foolish  to  attempt;  mean,  because  they  are  cowards,  and 
dare  not  go  boldly  forward  like  men ;  foolish,  for  unless  they 
do  so,  masonry  they  never,  never  can  know,  no  not  the 
slightest  thing  about  it;  they  may  rail  against  the  ancient 
and  glorious  institution,  because  they  are  held  in  ignorance, 
a  thing  which  harms  it  nothing,  for  masonry,  while  time 
remains,  will  always  find  patrons  in  warm-hearted,  social,  and 
independent  men.  All  other  arts  but  it,  of  man's  formation, 
sometime  or  other  decays,  and  are  reeled  rotten  into  the 
bastile  of  oblivion,  it  alone  remains  the  oracle  of  ages,  and 
stands  on  a  foundation  so  deeply  grounded  in  nature,  that 
no  storm,  though  ever  so  rude,  can  make  it  in  the  smallest 
totter. 

Cow^D — Made  a  coward  of 


144  COW  CRA 

CowDiES — A  name  for  cows. 

CowT — A  young  horse. 

Cracket — Split,  deranged,  &c. 

Cracksie — Talkative. 

Crae — Crave. 

Craftin  Lan — Good  green  fields  of  the  nature  of  croft. 

Craig — The  throat,  also  the  neck. 

Craig  o'  Herons — The  herons  having  the  long  craig  or  neck  ; 
these  birds  get  extremely  lean  in  body  about  the  dark  d  the 
moon,  or  when  the  moon  is  about  the  change,  because  they 
see  not  then  to  fish,  and  are  birds  that  feed  mostly  by  night ; 
and  being  of  a  gluttonous  nature,  it  is  not  a  wee  thing  that 
serves  them;  indeed,  the  heron  is  a  bird  that  may  be  well  said 
to  eat  itself^///  ^f  Ph'i  ^^^  it  is  always  very  lean;  a  stranger  to 
this  bird,  on  seeing  it  fly,  would  think  it  very  weighty,  by  the 
trouble  it  seems  to  sustain  itself  in  the  atmosphere,  but  this 
is  the  reverse ;  it  is  on  account  of  its  bulk  and  lightness,  the 
wind  can  drive  it  almost  where  it  will,  it  is  a  very  timid  bird ; 
come  upon  him  unawares,  while  wading  about  in  a  lonely 
pool,  he  has  not  the  fortitude  to  get  under  way,  and  may  be 
caught     This  is  the  bird  that  vomits  the  shot  star,  that  clear 
gluey  matter  found  in  fishy  marshes ;  instead  of  being  a  pro- 
duction of  the  lofty  regions  of  aether,  as  long  fancied  ;  it  is 
now  found  to  proceed  firom  the  ^t,^^y  gizzerons  of  lang-necked, 
or  craig  d  herons, 

Craik — An  unneedful  noise. 

Craims — Stands,  forms,  &c,  whereon  open-air  merchants  expose 
their  wares. 

Cranch — The  noise  that  teeth  make,  in  eating  unripe  fruit. 

Cranes — Ix)ng  poles,  with  notches  fixed  to  them,  for  the 
feet  to  stand  on ;  while  they  are  used  in  wading  rivers,  a 
water  three  feet  deep  has  frequently  been  passed  over  with 
cranes. 


CRA CRI  145 

Crapp — The  essence  of  whey,  extracted  when  the  whey  is 
boiled,  off  the  top,  called  in  England  ^^ float  whey^^  it  makes 
very  healthy  food. 

Crappin — The  crop  of  birds. 

Crappit — Cut  short.  The  rebels  in  Ireland  were  called 
crappies ;  for  why,  they  had  the  hair  of  the  head  cut  short  ; 
see  the  song  of  "  Laury  0'  Broom,  Sir" 

Crapps — Crops.     Produce  of  Harvest. 

Craw-plukin — Threatening  for  faults  committed.  "I  hae  a 
craw  to  p/idck  wi'  you"  is  often  said  by  those  who  have 
thought  themselves  injured,  to  those  whom  they  think  have 
done  them  an  ill  turn. 

Craws — Crows.  These  birds  are  said  to  begin  to  build  their 
nests  always  on  the  first  Sunday  of  March,  and  there  is  some 
truth  in  this,  though  it  does  not  still  hold  good ;  also,  that 
they  are  always  throngest  at  work  on  the  Lord's  day,  when 
building;  this  will  not  just  stand  the  test  either;  we  think 
them  thronger  on  that  day  than  on  any  of  the  week  days, 
because,  on  that  day  we  are  resting  from  labour  ourselves,  so 
more  at  ease  to  remark ;  they  follow  not  our  example. 

Crawtaes — Flowers  of  the  hyacinth  species,  common  in  wild 
woody  glens. 

Crawtt — A  small  insignificant  person. 

Creech — Grease. 

Crespiestool — A  little  seat. 

Criffi.e — A  large  hill  in  the  south-east  comer  of  Galloway. 
I  have  seen  many  funny  conjectures  made  about  the  deriva- 
tion of  its  name,  as  of  the  devil  and  also  the  famous 
wizzard  Michael  Scott  having  it  once  in  a  **cree/"  fixed 
round  their  bodies  with  a  rope,  that  the  rope  there  broke, 
and  the  "  creel  fell,"  so  from  that  taking  the  name  ;  however, 
I  cannot  see  the  use  of  giving  the  fancy  such  a  flight,  in 
order  to  come  at  the  thing  wanted.     Does  "  crifT"  in  no 


146  CRI CRO 

ancient  norlan  tongue  signify  "  cliff?"  I  think  it  does,  or  else 
it  is  a  corruption  of  "  cliff,"  and  as  for  the  other  half,  it  surely 
coraes  from  "  fell,"  a  wild  rocky  range  ;  so  putting  the  two 
together  we  have  "  Cliffell,"  which  is  as  near  the  name 
"  Criffle "  as  the  other  "  Creel-fell,"  and  surely  nearer  the 
representation  of  it,  for  it  is  a  place  entirely  composed  of 
cliffs  and  fells. 

Criffle  Diamonds — It  is  strongly  reported  that  this  hill  is 
full  of  these  precious  stones,  but  never  can  any  of  them  be 
obtained ;  sailors  passing  it  on  the  sea  in  their  barks  by  night, 
are  said  to  see  them  sparkle  in  the  cliffs,  but  when  they  haul 
their  wind,  and  go  ashore  in  boats  to  get  them,  their  guiding 
radiance  vanishes,  and  so  they  come  aboard  sadly  disap- 
pointed. Inventive  fancies  have  suggested  the  firing  of  cannon 
balls  at  them  through  the  nocturnal  gloom ;  then  finding  in 
day-light  the  places  struck  by  the  bullets,  which  would  be  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  the  rare  minerals;  but  I  know  not 
whether  this  plan  has  ever  been  yet  tried. 

Crimp— To  plait,  to  "frill,"  &c. 

Crinkv — A  rod  of  iron,  with  an  hook  at  the  end 

Crock-ewes — Old  ewes  which  have  lost  mark  of  mouth. 

Crock-pigs — Large  vessels  of  earthen  ware  for  holding  butter. 

Croichle — To  cough  often  but  not  loudly,  the  sickly  cough ; 
those  of  consumptive  habit  are  always  "  croichlin." 

Croittoch — A  lameness  which  often  assails  the  feet  of  co^-s 
and  oxen  ;  some  cure  it  by  drawing  a  hair  rope  through  the 
split  of  the  hoof;  others,  by  pouring  into  that  place,  that 
burning  thing  "  aquafortis." 

Cromek — An  English  gentleman  of  the  name  of  Robert 
Cromek,  whose  memory  every  Scotsman  ought  highly  to 
respect  He  was  born  in  Yorkshire,  had  a  genius  for  en- 
graving, but  a  greater  for  a  particular  species  of  literature 


CRO  CRO  147 

— the  songs  and  manners  of  the  days  of  yore  ;  the  works 
of  Bums  first  gave  him  a  bent  this  way,  nor  could  he  rest, 
being  so  charmed  with  the  muse  of  our  great  bard,  until  he 
took  a  trip  to  Scotland,  and  gathered  the  "  reliques  of  Burns," 
a  very  amusing  work,  for  which  he  was  made  a  member  of 
the  Antiquarian  Society  of  Edinburgh.  Having  published 
this  book  in  London,  he  again  set  sail  for  the  land  of  song, 
with  his  legendary  wallet,  and  having  arrived  in  the  fertile 
regions  of  the  south  of  Scotland,  he  soon  was  enabled  to 
fill  his  budget  by  the  aid  of  a  bard  he  there  forgathered 
with,  and  Mrs.  Coupland,  a  lady  at  Dalbeatty,  Galloway. 
This  lady's  exquisite  taste  in  poetry  furnished  him  with 
some  delightful  matters.  O  !  would  she  but  publish  the 
effusions  of  her  own  muse,  what  a  treat  would  this  be  to 
auld  Scotland.  The  bard  our  enthusiastic  Englishman  fell 
in  with,  was  no  less  a  one  than  Mr.  Cunningham ;  he  met 
with  the  poet  amid  his  rural  haunts,  singing  of  all  the  sweets 
of  nature ;  and  as  I  have  heard,  Mr.  C.  presented  him  with 
some  of  his  poetical  pieces,  in  order  to  have  his  opinion 
respecting  their  merits,  the  which  Mr.  Cromek  ratherly 
sneered  at,  which  caused  the  bard,  when  he  showed  him 
any  more  of  his  productions,  to  say  they  were  of  the 
olden  time,  the  which  bait  he  greedily  swallowed ;  whether 
he  ever  was  aware  of  the  songs  being  all  mostly  Cunning- 
ham's is  not  for  me  to  say ;  he  has  lauded  them  as  being 
extremely  good,  and  as  belonging  to  that  part  of  the 
world ;  in  doing  so,  he  has  said  but  the  truth ;  now,  why 
should  there  be  such  a  jangling  abroad  in  the  world  about 
this  and  similar  things  ?  if  a  poem  be  met  with  decidedly 
good,  matters  it  much  whether  it  was  written  in  this  or  that 
century;  the  works  of  Ossian,  the  Song  of  Hardyknute, 
Chatterton's  Poems,  and  the  Nithsdale  and  Galloway  song, 
I  admire  as  much  for  my  own  part  as  if  they  had  been  all 
known  as  well  about  dates,  everything,  as  the  poems  of 
Bums. 


T48  CRO  CRU 

Mr.  Cromek  had  certainly  a  very  just  idea  of  what  com- 
posed a  good  song ;  his  taste  in  this  respect  seems  to  have 
been  great,  and  considering  the  land  he  passed  his  youth 
in,  it  is  wonderful  to  conceive  how  well  he  was  acquainted 
with  the  manners  of  the  Scots,  the  nature  of  their  songs, 
and  expressions  of  their  languages ;  worthy  man,  he  died 
of  a  consumption  in  London  sometime  in  March,  1812, 
when  but  a  young  man,  leaving  a  widow  and  two  children. 
Mr.  Cunningham  has  given  a  sketch  of  his  character,  which 
is  to  be  found  in  the  front  sheets  of  a  spacious  edition  of  a 
poem  called  the  "  Grave,"  by  Blair,  published  by  Ackerman, 
bookseller,  Strand,  He  never  wrote  very  much  himself,  but 
was  very  active,  gathering  rarities  and  getting  them  pressed. 
On  the  whole  he  was  a  man  in  every  sense  of  the  word, 
whose  memory  deserves  not  to  be  neglected. 

Cronie — An  agreeable  friend. 

Cronoch — The  air  of  an  old  song,  the  Earse,  Coronauch. 

Crook — A  piece  of  iron  with  clicks  to  hang  pots  on  fires 
with. 

C ROOKIE — Anything  crooked. 

Croon — The  melancholy  music  of  the  ox. 

Croovie — A  little  snug,  strange-shaped  hut  or  den. 

Croozie — A  broad-bottomed  candlestick. 

C ROUSE — Merry,  high  in  spirits. 

Crowdie — A  thin  mixture  of  oatmeal  and  warm  water,  not  so 
thick  as  "  porritch,**  nor  yet  so  fat  as  "  brose." 

Crowl — A  dwarf. 

Crudds — Curds. 

Crudd-sae — A  shallow  tub  to  hold  curds. 

Crue — The  same  with  Craavie. 

Crulge — To  stoop,  to  cringe. 


CRU CRU  149 

Crummie — The  name  for  favourite  cows. 

Crummies  Punch — Grog,  half  water,  half  whisky. — Crumbier  a 
Priest,  who  was  once  a  placed  preacher  in  Kirkcudbright, 
amongst  the  many  divine  things  he  taught  his  flock,  this 
species  of  Punch  was  one,  and  it  seems  to  outlive  all  the 
rest ;  yea,  and  hand  his  reverend  name  down  to  posterity ; 
Crummies  Punch  will  live  as  long  as  the  Crook  d  the  Lot  or 
the  Pilgrinis  Progress, 

Crumpie — Any  food  brittle  to  eat 

Crumwhull's  Gibb  Cat — A  queer  Galloway  Poem — 

In  Gallowa  now  some  hae  heard 

O'  Auld  Cramwhuirs  Gibb  Cat, 
Or  may  be  no — the  de'il  the  odds, 

IjCt  bards  alane  for  that 

And  there's  o'  them  wad  rather  hear 

About  ane  big  Gibb  Cat, 
As  o'  the  grandest  richest  king 

On  gowden  throne  ere  sat 

Or  warrier  faeming  on  a  naig, 

Owre  blude  besumped  fields, 
'ITiere  splitting  pows — there  jagging  hearts, 

And  jingling  on  shields 

Or  statesmen  thumping  ither  down, 

Wi' a' the  pith  o*  chat, 
Ane  nobler  theme  than  them  by  far, 

Is  Auld  Crumwhull's  Gibb  Cat 


Wha  worried  ance  a  fumart  dead. 

And  shook  him  after  hin, 
Wha  did  the  gimell  o'  Crumwhull 

O*  rattons  aften  thin 

Wha  crumpet  mice  like  raisings  up, 

And  mony  anither  thing, 
Wha  aft  upo*  the  knee  wad  loup 

O*  Auld  Crumwhull  and  sing 

For  Auld  Crumwhull  wad  straik  his  back. 
And  ane  sleek  grey  back  had  he  ; 

Than  wad  he  cock  his  tail  fu*  straught, 
And  nyurr  awa  wi'  glee 

He  lo*ed  the  auld  man  unco'  weel, 

For  why  he  used  him  sae, 
As  selfishness  had  the  Gibb  Cat, 

And  men  the  same  whiles  hae 


152  CRU  CRY 

Hy  the  chulders  he  seized  on  the  gudewife. 
And  soon  wad  hae  stap*d  her  breath, 

Had  na  her  man,  her  sons,  and  daughters. 
Harried  him  to  death 

A  wee  thing  did  na  kill  the  chiel. 

He  fufT'd,  he  bit,  and  spat, 
Sae  merry  Scotsmen  now  ye*II  ken 

About  Crumwhull's  Gibb  Cat 

Tho'  for  the  moral  o*  the  tale, 

I^t  nane  that  moral  tell — 
May  every  birkie  watch  his  saul. 

And  haud  it  out  o'  hell. 

Crupple — The  curple;  the  article  in  horse  housing;  well 
known  to  the  Monkland  people  and  others,  who  pride 
themselves  in  "  riding  gear'^ 

Cruttlins — The  refuse  of  soft  food. 

Cry*d — Proclaimed  in  church.  Those  proclaimed  do  not 
attend  church  on  that  day,  nor  none  of  their  near  relatives, 
which  is  Scotch  modesty — 

The  song  of  BENJIE  KELLAUCHEN. 

Chortis.        OivTf  the  wif  wat'es  /followed  my  Mary, 

And  owre  the  blue  hills  o*  the  Ian*  far  awa. 
But  I  never  faun  her^  till  hack  I  did  wander, 
A*  hame  un*  her  mither  at  Cillybumha. 

0  !  the  sweet  jade  had  her  notions  romantic, 
She  welcom  d  me  back  wi'  a  glowre  o'  disdain; 

She  laugh'd  at  my  justles  across  the  Atlantic, 
And  ne'er  gaed  a  sigh  at  my  tales  fu'  o'  pain. 

She  had  at  her  parties  the  beaux  of  the  clauchen. 
And  mony  a  young  lairdy  fu'  goofish  and  braw. 

But  deuce  a  bit  card  cam'  to  puir  Benjie  Kellauchen, 
Never  a  kin'  invitation  ava. 

Yet  ay  I  did  lo'e  her,  and  ay  she  was  bonny, 

0  !  nane  like  my  Mary  ava  I  cou'd  see  ; 
My  heart  ay  beat  queerer  for  her  than  for  ony, 

Altho'  she  wad  seem  unco*  cauldrife  to  me. 

1  gal  unco'  dowie,  I  cou'd  na  be  cheery, 

1  dawner'd  about  the  Saughligget  and  sigh'd. 
Ay  dreading  ilk  day  at  the  kirk  that  my  deary 

On  some  ane  or  itherbut  me  wad  be  **  cried." 

But  what's  come  about  think  ye — I've  gat  my  Mary, 
For  a'  the  cauld  cluds  that  atween  us  did  blaw, 

"lis  the  nalur'  o'  women  to  shuffle  and  vary. 
But  gin  we  are  sicker  we  won  them  for  a'. 

Owre  the  wil*  waves,  &c. 


CRY  CUD  153 

A  SONG  BY  BENJIE  KELLAUCHEN. 

O  !  my  love  she  is  £siir, 

And  modest  and  neat, 
O  !  charming's  her  air, 

And  her  lips  they  are  sweet ; 
Let  her  dress  how  she  will, 

Enchanting  she's  still, 
O  !  she  makes  me  to  gaze,  and  she  makes  my  heart  thrill. 

Full  many  a  maid, 

I  have  loved  to  kiss. 
But  my  lips  ne'er  were  laid 

On  a  sweet  mouth  like  this ; 
When  the  hills  hide  the  sun, 

When  the  evening's  begun, 
'llien,  then,  to  my  darling  I  swiftly  do  run. 

And  she  waiteth  for  me 

By  the  banks  of  bum, 
'Neath  the  brown  hazle  tree. 

Where  the  merle  doth  sojourn ; 
The  fairies  dance  round, 

On  the  flower  covered  ground, 
O  !  that  is  the  place  where  true  pleasure  is  found. 

To  her  I  do  give 

My  hand  and  heart  free ; 

0  !  would  she  but  live 

In  contentment  with  me, 

1  would  shield  her  from  harms. 
With  the  power  of  my  arms. 

And  enjoy  evermore  the  delights  of  her  charms. 

'^ING   Pipes — Little  pipes  made  ot   straw,  which  children 
lake  a  noise  with ;  the  humble  doric  reed. 

^ING  Sin — A  sin  fancied  to  be  large. 

riNG  Wife — A  woman  in  labour. 

fs*D — Shriveled,  contracted,  &c 

JB — A  dull  fellow. 

3BERT — Cupboard. 

0 — A  lying  young  man. 

DDLE — To  lie  with  other  lovingly. 

DDOCHS — Black  cattle  a  year  old. 

DDROCH — A  timid  worthless  youth. 

DDY  Ass — An  ass. 


154  CUD  CUR 

Cuddy  and  the  Powks — An  ass  with  bags  hanging  about  it; 
also  a  school  game — two  boys  join  hands  and  feet  over  the 
back  of  a  third,  the  which  creeps  away  with  them  on  hands 
and  knees  to  a  certain  distance,  and  if  able  to  do  this,  he, 
the  cuddy ^  must  have  a  ride  as  one  of  the  /xnvksy  on  some 
other's  back. 

Cuff  o'  the  Neck — The  back  part  of  the  neck;  that  part 
where  bitches  and  cats  carry  their  young  by,  when  they  wish 
to  remove  their  lair. 

CuiF — A  blockhead. 

CuiST — Did  cast. 

Cull — A  lump  of  hard  food. 

Cum'd — Grain  is  said  to  be  cumd  when  it  has  begun  to  sproot 
or  bud  ; — the  cum  d  maut  is  the  advancement  the  bud  has 
made — the  length  it  has  grown ;  by  this,  maut-nun  know  if  the 
grain  has  been  long  enough  kept  moist  before  they  kill-dry  it 

Cummer*d — Cumbered;  hands  are  said  to  be  so  when  benumbed 
with  cold. 

CuNDiEs — Hare  holes  through  dykes.  Poachers  set  gims  in 
these  to  catch  the  game.  One  set  a  strong  brass  wire  one, 
once ;  this  he  did  in  the  gloaming ;  in  the  morning  when  he 
looked  at  it,  there  was  his  oami  dog  hanged  in  it;  he  took  out 
the  dead  tyke^  set  it  again — looked  at  it  next  morning,  and 
there's  his  own  bawdrons  leaping  and  scratching  in  it;  he  had 
much  ado  in  setting  her  free,  then  swore  he,  that  ^^girns  h^ 
wcui  never  set  mair^ 

CuRCHiE — Curtsey. 

CuRLV-MUCHY — Mouth-thankless. — See  the  article  Nyaph, 

CuRR — A  shepherd's  dog. 

CuRRBAWTY — The  art  of  seeking  quarrel ;  some  people, 
to  their  misfortune,  are  good  at  this,  for  they  too  often 
find   it,   and   are   frequently   sadly  forfoughten ;    there   are 


CUR  CUT  155 

some  again  who  can  steer  their  way  through  this  life,  bad  as 
it  is,  and  never  have  a  battle  with  anybody.  I  once  heard  a 
^A^^/say,  "that  a  worry  refreshed  him — that  it  claw'd  his 
back,  and  that  he  could  not  live  if  now  and  then  he  had  not 
a  brattle  with  his  fellows ; "  for  my  own  part  "  I  relish 
quietness  at  a  price  too  much,"  as  Pomfret  says ;  and  should 
any  write  against  this  queerish  book  and  myself,  with  the 
high  swinging  language  of  damnation,  mine  eldritch  jaw 
should  never  be  opened  in  self-defence;  the  broosle  they 
should  have  without  fighting  for  it.  I  hate  the  name  of 
Currbawty  as  I  hate  the  devil ;  what  is  the  use  of  making 
this  world  worse  than  it  is  ?  Let  us  take  a  laugh  in  it 
whenever  we  can. 

CuRRCUDDY  or  KiRRcuDDY — A  singular  rustic  dance,  now 
common  to  be  seen  danced  on  the  stages  of  theatres  by 
buffoons.  The  dancers  ciirr  or  sit  down  on  their  hams,  with 
their  hands  joined  beneath  their  thighs,  and  so  they  hop 
about,  and  go  through  various  evolutions. 

CuRRMURRiN — That  noise  in  volcanic  bellies,  ready  for 
eruption. 

Curry- KAME — A  comb  for  cleaning  horse  hides. 

1-'l'shado*es — Cushet-doves.  These  are  the  most  destructive 
birds  in  the  south  of  Scotland,  and  they  are  not  so  bad  yet 
as  they  will  be.  Plantations  introduced  them,  and  as  the 
one  thrives  so  does  the  other.  They  take  no  warning  when 
one  of  them  is  shot,  like  crows. 

■Uttie-mun — A  short  person,  with  an  extremely  small  face. 
This  face  is  said  to  be  like  a  mun.  Dr.  Jamieson  has  munn 
to  be  a  short-hafted  spoon,  and  adds,  it  is  a  Galloway  word. 
In  this  I  differ  from  him  ;  cutty -horn  or  cutty-spoon,  is  the 
name  I  have  heard,  mun  always  applied  to  a  little  face.  I 
have  sometimes  thought  this  mun,  this  word  of  perplexity, 
"^as  derived  from  moon,  cuttie-moon,  a  little  moon  of  a  face  : 
iDut  this  will  not  do  well  either,  for  we  have  a  phrase,  when 


156  CUT  CUT 

speaking  of  a  man  with  a  large  face,  that  he  has  a  fkcc  as 
dradt  as  a  moon.  I  am  sorry  to  leave  the  word  baffled. 
The  doctor  thinks  that  it  may  come  from  the  islandie, 
munn^  the  mouth ;  now  it  is  not  the  mouth  that  is  the  thing 
which  makes  us  say  a  face  is  like  a  mun,  it  is  the  little 
circumference  of  that  face.  Old  people,  on  the  grave's 
brink,  are  said  to  have  faces  shrunk  into  that  form. 

CuTTiE-PiPE — A  short-shanked  pipe ;  great  smokers  dislike 
any  other  kind  of  pipe  than  this,  as  also  a  new  one.  The 
English,  in  this  respect,  are  not  so,  they  must  have  long- 
shanked  new  pipes  to  every  spell  of  smoking. 

CuTTiE-sPOON  or  CuTTiE-HORN — A  short-shanked  spoon. 

CuTTS — Those  bands  of  iron  which  encircle  swingle-trees,  or 
bars  of  wood,  by  which  ploughs  and  harrows  are  drawn ; 
there  are  three  of  them  on  each  bar,  one  at  each  end, 
and  a  large  one  in  the  centre.  They  are  called  cutts^ 
because,  before  they  were  made  of  iron,  there  was  just  a 
strap  of  home-made  rope  for  each  cutt^  and  these,  in  time, 
by  friction,  cut  through  the  wooden  bar. 

An  art  may  alter,  but  its  early  name 
Clings  closely  bv  it,  till  it  reaches  fame  ; 
And  when  'tis  there,  the  hold  it  does  let  go, 
For  then  'tis  held,  tho'  it  may  wish  or  no. 

Myselu 

CuTTS  and  Capers — Flashes  and  flings. 

CuTTS  and  Hanks — Thread  in  a  loose  state  before  it  is  wov*^ 
into  a  web. 

CuriT — Anything  short,  scanty. 

Cutty-glies — A  little  squat-made  female,  extremely  fond  o^ 
the  male  creation,  and  good  at  winking  or  ^/j'/«^/  hence  th^ 
name  cuttie-glies.  Poor  girl,  she  frequently  suffers  much  hy 
her  natural  disposition  :  to  be  short  and  plain,  it  seems  thi^ 
is  the  class  of  females  destined  by  some  infernal  law  tc^ 
become  prostitutes. 


CUT  DAI  157 

CuTTY-WRAN — The  wren,  the  little  nimble  bird  :  how  quick  it 
will  peep  out  of  the  hole  of  an  old  foggy  dyke,  and  catch  a 
passing  butter-fly.  Manx  herring-fishers  dare  not  go  to  sea 
without  one  of  these  birds,  taken  dead  with  them,  for  fear  of 
disasters  and  storms.  Their  tradition  is  of  a  "  sea-sprit ^^  that 
haunted  the  "  herring-tack^  attended  always  by  storms,  and 
at  last  it  assumed  the  figure  of  a  wren  and  flew  away.  So 
they  think  when  they  have  a  dead  wren  with  them,  all  is 
snug.  The  poor  bird  has  a  sad  life  of  it  in  that  singular 
island ;  when  one  is  seen  at  any  time,  scores  of  Manxmen 
start  and  hunt  it  dowiL 


D. 


Da' — ^A  fond  name  for  father,  a  contraction  of  daddy. 

Dab — ^To  pick  like  a  bird,  or  peck. 

Dabble-docks — The  last  candles  that  are  made  at  a  making ; 
they  are  dabbled  as  it  were  in  the  dock^  hence  the  name. 
Also  persons  battered  with  storms,  having  all  their  clothes 
wet,  are  called  dabble-docks, 

Daffin — Toying  with  women  under  night 

Daffy-downdillv — The  lovely  yellow  flower  daffodil,  or  lily. 

Daft — To  be  deranged  in  the  mind ;  also  some  are  thought 
to  be  "daft,"  who  are  worth  two  wise  folks.  A  strong 
natural  genius  is,  for  common,  thought  to  be  so  when 
young. 

t>AGG — ^A  cut  of  earth. 

C>AiCH— Dough. 

AiDLE — To  stroll  about  carelessly,  and  tipple  and  loll. 

AiDLiE — A  loose  frock,  worn  by  children  over  their  other 
clothes,  called  in  England  "  pin-afore." 


158  DAI  DAM 

Daikert — Dressed,  sorted,  set  to  rights,  &c. 

Dai  MEN — Rare,  odd,  &c. 

Dainti  es — Delights,  delicacies. 

Daivert — A  little  oath,  also  to  be  stutCd  with  a  blow. 

Daiz'd — Fail'd,  decay'd,  not  fresh,  &c 

Dalldrums — Foolish  fancies,  "he  has  ta'en  the  dalldrums^ 
he  has  got  foolish  ideas  into  his  head.  I  can  say  nothing 
respecting  the  derivation  of  this  word,  but  such  is  its 
meaning. 

Dallied — Tarried. 

Dallion — A  [)erson  whose  clothes  befit  not  his  body,  being 
too  large  for  it ;  also,  that  person  has  a  singular  foolish  gait 
in  walking. 

Dalloch — A  flat  of  fat  land. 

D allow — To  dig  with  a  spade. 

Dambrod — A  draught-board. 

Damdyke — A  raound  of  earth  flung  across  a  stream,  to  confine 
the  water,  for  mechanical  affiairs.  "  Spates "  often  drive 
these  dykes  before  them,  to  the  grief  of  millers  and  others ; 
a  very  worthy  and  singular  miller,  of  my  acquaintance,  once 
told  me  the  following : — "  I  had  been  in  at  the  market,  and 
ablins^  I  might  hae  taen  a  gill  or  twa  mair  than  was  right, 
nought  mair  likely.  I  had  been  in  *  Dinnies '  by  the  Brig, 
too,  and  minds  o'  me,  haeing  a  twelie  wi'  Lucky.  But  let 
thae  flees  stick  i'  the  wa'.  After  I  had  lifted  Gilronnie  brae, 
I  foun'  mysell  soberin,  sat  down  on  a  taff*-dyke,  and  took  a 
look  o'  the  lift  The  moon  was  wadin  deep,  and  there  was  a 
damnable  sough  i'  the  sea  owre  the  Ross.  I  saw  a  spate 
brewin  plainly,  every  clud  the  carry  brought  whiskin  by 
teird  me.  I  thought  o'  my  damdyke.  The  brod  maun  be 
lifted  wi*  the  screw  the  night  ony  way,  or  it  will  be  a'  to  the 
pot  or  morning.     This  said  I  to  mysell,  started,  catched 


DAM  DAM  159 

clicky  again,  pat  a  chew  o'  yeannies  best  i'  my  mouth,  and 

held  straught  on  to  the  dam, 

* 

"  But  whan  I  cam  in  sight  o'  the  Milton,  frien*  Johnnie's 
wather-glass  cam  i'  my  head.  I  had  heard  o'  certain  gentle- 
men farmers  consulting  the  *  mercury  J  sae  I,  for  ance,  wad 
consult  it  too.  Gaed  in  tae  house — Johnnie  was  na  gane  lie, 
I  foun'  him  taking  a  blaw  o'  the  pipe  owre  the  fire,  wi'  the 
mmodieman.  Quo'  I,  *  how's  the  glass  the  night,  man  ? 
we're  gaen  to  hae  a  wather  brack,  that's  my  notion  o't,  sae  I 
maun  down  tae  dam,  and  lift  the  brod,  or  I'll  hae  nae  dam 
i'  the  morning.' 

*Howt's  fool,'  quo'  J^ohnnie,  'we're  gaen  to  hae  nae 
si>ate.  Atild  Guthrie  has  filled  ye  wi'  thae  babbles  as  ye 
cam'  by  now,  the  glass  is  up,  awa  atween^/>  and  dry ;  but 
we'll  tak  the  cannle,  and  look,  gin  ye  like  ;  there's  nae  fear  o' 
your  dam  the  night  ony  way.'  We  did  sae,  the  thing  was  as 
he  had  said,  the  mercury  was  up,  awa  by  *  fair  and  dry.' 

*  But  gang  out,  man,  and  look  at  the  lift,  and  hear  the  sough 
i'  the  sea ;  gif  they  look  na  like  a  spate,  they  cheat  me,'  quo'  I. 

*  Howt's  fool,'  quo*  he,  *  its  your  ain  lugs  that  sough  the 
nighty  and  wha  kens  but  your  e'en  may  be  a  wee  thing  glazed 
too.  We'se  hae  a  glass  o'  whusky  owre  this  ony  way.'  To 
this  I  was  *  nothing  loath,'  as  the  great  Milton  says,  for  by 
this  time,  wi'  sweating,  drinking  water,  and  chewin  tobacco, 
my  mouth  was  got  dry,  and  a  *  wrack '  had  gathered  brown 
Toun*  my  lips,  like  the  wrack  on  the  shore  roun'  the  sea.  Ae 
glass  brought  anither ;  him  and  me  tae  jawner,  and  whan  I 
gat  hame,  lord  knows.  I  wakened  i'  the  morning  wi'  an  awfu 
sair  head ;  the  ducks  I  heard  giein  queer  eldrich  squakes  about 
the  *  lade!  I  pat  on  my  mill-ciaise,  and  gaed  out :  the  wun 
-was  awfu' ;  the  rain  was  fa'in  in  stoupfu's.  I  set  af  to  unscrue 
the  dam  wi'  a  haste ;  but  or  I  wan  haufway  till't,  there  its 
coming  meeting  me,  rowin  just  before  a  sea  o'  water.  I  had 
eneuch  ado  to  wun  out  o'  its  range.  The  hale  was  fearfu'  to 
look  at ;  on  it  roared  and  famed,  covered  my  bit  meadow 


i6o  DAM  DAR 

with  sods,  nor  did  it  rest  till  it  rolled  into  Mollack  Bay,  mak- 
ing the  sea,  as  far  as  the  Netherlaw  Head,  muddy.  What 
cud  I  do ;  to  fret  needless,  but  wha  cud  keep  frae't  *  Let 
it  lie  there,'  quo'  I,  *  there's  nae  faith  to  be  pitten  in  whusky 
and  wather-glasses,  " 

Dams — Game  at  draughts. 

Dandgell — A  person  much  the  same  with  Dallion ;  also  a 
large  thick  top-coat. 

Danner — To  wander  carelessly. 
Dan  TON — To  fright,  to  intimidate. 

Darck — A  day  s  work.  "  A  darck  o'  peats,"  a  day's  work  to 
obtain  peats  ;  this  clause  is  in  many  a  poor  man's  bargain  with 
his  master.  "  Darck"  sometimes  too  rather  extends  beyond 
a  "  day's  work  ; "  thus  we  say  often  when  a  hard  job  is  done, 
which  has  taken  the  work  of  weeks,  "  that  that  was  a  darck 
indeed." 

Darg — The  noise  a  spade  makes  when  darting  into  soft  earth. 

Dark  o'  the  Moon — That  period  of  the  moon  when  she  is  in 
conjunction,  or  changing,  or  ratherly  the  first  and  last  quarters 
of  the  moon^s  age  ;  she  is  then  but  little  seen  by  us,  and  leaves 
our  nights,  while  she  remains  so,  to  the  utter  dominion  of 
darkness.  "  Parties^  in  the  country,"  viz.  meetings  among 
friends,  are  never  fixed  to  be  held  during  this  season,  and  sev- 
eral wild  animals  which  roam  during  the  night  for  prey,  get 
lean  in  flesh  at  this  absence  of  the  radiance  of  the  nocturnal 
queen.  The  fox  and  owl  miss  her  light  very  much,  but  none 
more  so  than  that  bird  we  call  the  craig  d  heron  ;  it  is  then 
nothing  but  a  rickle  d  battes,  covered  with  feathers,  and  has 
given  rise  to  the  saying,  when  any  one  is  down  in  flesh,  like 
an  Edinburgh  Student,  that  he  resembles  the  craig  d  heron 
at  the  "  dark  d  the  moon'^ 

Darrochs — Oak  woods,  or  places  where  oaks  grow;  the  word 
is  cjuite  earse. 


DAM  DAM  159 

clicky  again,  pat  a  chew  o*  yeannies  best  i'  my  mouth,  and 
held  straught  on  to  the  dam, 

"  But  whan  I  cam  in  sight  o'  the  Milton^  frien*  Johnnie's 
wather-glass  cam  i*  my  head.  I  had  heard  o'  certain  gentle- 
men fanners  consulting  the  *  mercury y  sae  I,  for  ance,  wad 
consult  it  too.  Gaed  in  tae  house — Johnnie  was  na  gane  lie, 
I  foun*  him  taking  a  blaw  o'  the  pipe  owre  the  fire,  wi*  the 
maiuduman.  Quo'  I,  *  how's  the  glass  the  night,  man  ? 
we're  gaen  to  hae  a  wather  brack,  that's  my  notion  o't,  sae  I 
maun  down  tae  dam,  and  lift  the  brod,  or  I'll  hae  nae  dam 
i'  the  morning.' 

*Howt's  fool,'  quo'  yohnniiy  *  we're  gaen  to  hae  nae 
spate.  Auld  Guthrie  has  filled  ye  wi'  thae  babbles  as  ye 
cam'  by  now,  the  glass  is  up,  awa  atween^/V  and  dry ;  but 
we'll  tak  the  cannle,  and  look,  gin  ye  like  ;  there's  nae  fear  o' 
your  dam  the  night  ony  way.'  We  did  sae,  the  thing  was  as 
he  had   said,  the  mercury  was  up,  awa  by  *  fair  and  dry.* 

*  But  gang  out,  man,  and  look  at  the  lift,  and  hear  the  sough 
i'  the  sea ;  gif  they  look  na  like  a  spate,  they  cheat  me,'  quo'  I. 

*  Howt's  fool,'  quo'  he,  *  its  your  ain  lugs  that  sough  the 
night,  and  wha  kens  but  your  e'en  may  be  a  wee  thing  glazed 
too.  We'se  hae  a  glass  o'  whusky  owre  this  ony  way.'  To 
this  I  was  *  nothing  loath,'  as  the  great  Milton  says,  for  by 
this  time,  wi'  sweating,  drinking  water,  and  chewin  tobacco, 
my  mouth  was  got  dry,  and  a  *  ivrack '  had  gathered  brown 
roun*  my  lips,  like  the  wrack  on  the  shore  roun'  the  sea.  Ae 
glass  brought  anither ;  him  and  me  tae  jawner,  and  whan  I 
gat  hame,  lord  knows.  I  wakened  i'  the  morning  wi'  an  awfu 
sairhead ;  the  ducks  I  heard  giein  queer  eldrich  squakes  about 
the  *  lade^  I  pat  on  my  mill-ciaise^  and  gaed  out :  the  wun 
was  awfu' ;  the  rain  was  fa'in  in  stoupfu's.  I  set  af  to  unscnie 
the  dam  wi'  a  haste ;  but  or  I  wan  haufway  till't,  there  its 
coming  meeting  me,  rowin  just  before  a  sea  o'  water.  I  had 
eneuch  ado  to  wun  out  o'  its  range.  The  hale  was  fearfu'  lo 
look  at ;  on  it  roared  and  famed,  covered  my  bit  meadow 


1 62  DAY DEA 

He  seems  to  have  some  ear  for  music,  as  all  fools  have, 
and  might  probably,  who  knows,  have  been  learned  to  write 
rhyme.     See  more  of  him  in  the  article  "  Naturalls^^ 

Deacon  MVminn — The  Borgue  philosopher.  This  was 
quite  a  Dr.  Franklin,  if  he  had  had  his  industry;  but, 
wanting  that  (except  for  me),  he  would  have  sunk  into 
oblivion.  The  Deacon  was  a  rustic  of  no  common  intel- 
lect :  it  is  pleasant  to  reflect  on  his  vast  mind,  even  though 
it  was  rude.  Had  he  received  the  benefit  derived  from 
education,  there  is  no  saying  how  far  he  might  have  ex- 
plored the  ocean  of  science;  what  unknown  lands  he 
might  have  found;  and  what  gems,  by  diving,  he  might 
have  brought  up  to  light. 

For  the  greater  part  of  his  life  (and  it  was  not  a  short 
one),  he  lived  in  a  little  hut  beside  the  Glebe  of  SenwUk, 
and    wrought    just    at    labouring    work,    hoeing    whins, 
quarrying  stones,  &c.     He  seldom  was  a  bound  labourer, 
he  was  ratherly  what  is  called  a  jobber^  taking  little  speUs 
of  work  from  those  who  had  them  to  give,  and  doing  them 
at  his  leisure,  for  the  Deacon  would  never  allow  himself 
to  be  a  hard  worker,  his  great  mind  insisted  frequently  for     i 
time  to  reflect  on  the  various  works  of  nature  which  pre- 
sented themselves  before  him.      He  was  fond  of  Botany, 
and  had  a  little  garden  filled  with  flowers,  finit-trees,  and. 
bee-hives.     All  the  Gardeners  in  Galloway  knew  the  Dea- 
con, and  would  have  come  twenty  miles  and  upwards,  fo"«^ 
the  one  purpose  of  having  a  cfack  with  him.      With  theiK^ 
he  exchanged  visits  and  plants,  and  was  a  welcome  gues-— 
in  all  the  hot-houses,  parterres,    and   orchards,   the  wide=== 
spreading  country  could  boast  of.     His  gooseberries  were^ 
still  of  the  first  kind,  and  when  they  were  in  season  fo^^ 
eating,    his    garden    was    like    a    little    fair    on   Sundays,^ 
with  people  tasting  his  mellow  fruit     Such  was   the  Dea- 
con ; — he  is  now  in  his  narrow  bed,  poor  man  :  the  house  — 


DEA  DEA  163 

where  he  lived  is  in  ruins,  his  berry-bushes  withered,  and 
covered  with  nettles,  and  robin-rin-thf-hedge,  while  some 
of  his  "  garden  flowers  "  are  now  to  be  seen  "  growing  wild." 
Yet  the  fond  memory  of  some  conjure  up  the  rustic  sage, 
and  some  of  his  shrewd  remarks  seem  as  if  they  were  not 
going  to  be  forgot.  When  the  minister  of  his  parish  died, 
some  of  his  warm  friends  thought  of  erecting  a  monument, 
with  a  suitable  inscription  thereon,  to  the  memory  of  his 
departed  Reverence,  but  ere  doing  this,  they  thought  it 
would  do  no  harm  to  have  the  Deacon's  opinion  on  the 
matter,  when  he  gave  his  shmvthers  a  hatch,  and  answered 
wi'  "I  ken  na  what  ye  wad  say  about  him,  but  that  he's 
there ;*^  meaning  as  much  that  his  body  lay  there,  and 
there  required  no  more  in  justice  to  be  said :  so  the  idea 
of  a  monument  was  blasted  by  the  Deacon's  sarcasm. 
Though  it  was  known  that  the  Reverend  gentleman  was 
never  much  admired  by  him,  as  when  he  (the  priest)  met 
with  our  philosopher,  at  diets  d  examine,  it  was  always 
his  way  to  set  upon  and  question  hard  the  Deacon,  respect- 
ing the  knotty  points  of  our  faith ;  yet  even  there,  he  could 
not  get  the  better  of  him  so  well  as  he  wished,  as,  whenever 
a  cramp  question  was  put,  the  Deacon  would  shake  his 
head,  and  say,  "He  cud  na  cleverly  tell  that,"  the  which 
answer  compelled  his  Reverence  to  tell  it  himself.  When 
asked  by  an  acquaintance  once  what  he  thought  of  the 
sermons  of  the  above-mentioned  priest,  if  he  considered 
them  true  to  the  point,  or  if  he  "backed  weel  out  wi* 
Scripture?"  "I  ken  na  (quoth  the  Deacon),  he  preaches 
Imd — ay,  he's  loud^^  meaning  as  much  that  he  made  a  noise 
when  speaking,  and  nothing  more. 

When  some  Sutors  in  the   Gate-house  started  from  the 
stall,  and  began  to  harangue  a  multitude  respecting  their 
evil   ways,   the   Deacon   thought   "  Preaching   would   soon 
be  gaun  wi*   water,^*  like  any  other  piece  of  mere   ma- 
chinery. 


1 64  DEA DEA 

His  inquiries  after  the  wonders  of  nature  were  of  the  first 
kind.  The  tides  of  the  ocean,  the  thunder,  the  clouds,  and 
the  stars,  cost  him  many  reflections ;  and  far  did  his  mind 
penetrate  into  the  ways  of  Providence.  Wild  too,  did  his 
fancy  soar,  and  out  of  hah  claithy  as  the  saying  is,  he  could 
shape  a  wonderful  story.  His  imagination  was  perfectiy 
exuberant;  he  not  only  knew  the  ways  of  men,  and  the 
various  turns  of  nature,  but  he  seemed  also  as  if  he  had 
spent  many  a  day  with  witches  and  warlocks ;  dined  with 
water  kelpies ;  and  danced  with  fairies.  With  these  visionary 
beings,  he  still  seemed  quite  at  home.  By  the  strange  tales 
he  struck  out,  and  the  distance  his  mind  was  above  his 
brother  rustics,  was  he  honoured  with  the  title  of  Deacon: 
his  christian  name  was  James.  He  was  a  great  ardzan, 
as  so  were  his  sons,  quite  masters  of  all  kinds  of  turning, 
centric  and  eccentric;  they  made  distaffs  and  snuff-boxes, 
unmatched  for  handy  craft 

It  may  be  said  of  the  Deacon,  as  it  is  said  of  not  a  few, 
that  he  was  gifted  by  nature  with  powerful  talents,  but 
blasted  by  the  laws  of  Fortune. 

Dead-days — Those  days  the  coq)se  of  a  person  remains  before 
it  is  buried ;  no  ploughing,  nor  opening  the  earth  in  any  shape, 
is  allowed  to  go  forward,  when  such  is  the  case  in  a  farm. 

Deadilv — A  school  game. 

Dead-match — A  close  match. 

Dead-thraws — The  throes  of  death.      To  the  man  of  feel- 
ing, there  is  not  a  more  horrible  sight  to  be  seen,  as 
fellow  creature  in  this  wretched  state;  how  alive  we 
then  to  the  power  of  death,  and  how  grieved  to  the  sou- 
that  we  can  render  no  relief     I  was  never  able  to  stan-- 
the   scene   but  once,   and  will   never  try  it  again,  un 
abniptly  compelled.     I   do  not  think  death  itself  will 
more  dirticult  for  me  to  endure  than  that  appalling  see 


I 

I 


DEA  DEB  165 

was.  Once  too,  that  restless  being  within  me,  Curiosity, 
dragged  me  to  see  the  execution  of  a  young  man,  when  in 
Edinburgh,  but  she'll  drag  well  if  she  drags  me  back  again 
to  see  such  a  spectacle.  I  was  not  myself,  Mactaggart, 
for  a  month  afterwards,  my  mind  was  so  disordered  with 
the  sight  In  a  curious  way  wrought  the  phrenzy  (as  I  am 
one  who  speaks  my  mind),  I  tell  this.  I  felt  an  inclina- 
tion, both  during  night,  when  dream  after  dream  whirled 
through  my  brain's  airy  halls,  and  in  the  day-time,  to  do 
some  crime  or  other,  that  I  might  meet  with  a  similar  fate. 
Whether  this  is  ever  the  way  with  any  other  person,  I  can- 
not tell,  but  so  it  operated  on  me,  and  which  has  caused 
me  ever  since  to  say,  that  hanging,  instead  of  scaring  from 
crime,  has  a  strong  tendency  the  other  way.  May  God 
keep  me  far  from  seeing  again  any  in  the  dead-thraws. 

Death  on  Skvtchers — Long,  lean,  ill-made  people,  are  said 
to  be  like  Death  on  Skytchers — Death  on  skates;  for  this 
fell  foe  of  our  race  is  fancied,  by  all  nations,  to  be  a  rickk  0* 
haneSy  yet  he  skates,  or  moves  quickly  about. 

Debushed  —  Debauched.  I  am  always  fond  of  inserting 
those  little  scrapes  of  poetry  I  have  about  me  when  they 
suit  the  article,  and  I  think  this  at  present  on  the  Death  c>  a 
Debauchee,  is  quite  a-propos  : — 

And  sae  my  merry  ranting  Tarn 

Has  turned  the  nuik  at  last, 
Weel  did  he  lo'e  a  wench,  a  dram, 

And  lived  unco'  fast. 

Few  ance  cud  dance  and  drink  like  he, 

And  woo  a  bonny  lass  : 
For  he  attended  every  spree, 

And  freely  flashed  his  brass. 

At  waddings,  raffles,  jerkins,  balls, 

Blyth  Tammie  ay  attended, 
He  boxed  well  in  midnight  brawls, 

And  sac  his  days  he  ended. 

His  pouch  o*  cash  was  seldom  light, 

For  his  auld  scrubbing  dad 
Left  him  a  weighty  purse  to  right, 

And  set  him  floreing  mad. 


\ 


i66  DEB   —  DEI 

'I'hus  the  father  spent  his  days 

In  grubbing  misery  ; 
The  son,  tho',  did  reverse  his  ways, 

And  dietl  a  debauchee. 

Sillar's  ay  the  root  o'  woe. 

Whatever  view  we  take, 
It  is  the  miser's  wretched  foe. 

And  oversets  the  rake. 

Sae  Tam,  ye're  now  gane  to  the  grave, 

That  tavern  cauld  and  grim  ; 
Nae  parties  there  do  ill  behave, 

There  a's  in  sober  trim. 

Your  landlord,  Death,  in  quietness  keeps 

The  chaummers  o'  his  Inn, 
There  cursed  clamour  queemly  sleeps. 

The  wicked's  ill-fared  din. 

For  you  the  yillwives  here  lament, 

And  drunkards  sound  thy  fame, 
May  they,  unlike  thee,  here  repent, 

Or  they  gae  to  lang  hame. 

What  madness  this,  to  plunge  downwright 

In  black  damnation's  pool, 
To  love  the  night,  and  hate  the  light, 

O  !  foolish  man  !  fool  !  fool ! 

Deep  Draught — A  long  deep-drawn  plan.  People,  this  way^-t-^-^^ 
for  all  their  uncommon  craft,  seldom  thrive.  The  worlc^  ^'^ 
holds  of  them  as  of  a  weeping  crocodile. 

De'il   Dogs — Black   dogs,  met  with  under  night,  have  lon^^^ 
been  called  de'il-dogs ;   and  it  is  confidently  thought  hy^* 
many,  that   the   Prince  of  Darkness   trounas  through  this^^^ 
world  in  the  form  of  a  black  dog:  even  Bums  has  him — 
the  Piper  at  Allowa  Kirk  to  the  Witches — 

**  A  towzie  tykgy  black,  grim,  and  laige." 

De'il's  Bucky — A  bad  boy. 

De'il's  Buiks — The  Devil's  books,  the  cards,  generally  called 
the  DiiPs  buiks  by  that  sect  of  religious  persons  called  the 
Hiilfoivky  for  they  will  not  touch  the  cards,  and  consider 
them  the  first  books  in  the  Devil's  library. 


DEI  DEI  167 

■>e'il's  Club — Many  people  fancy  that  the  Devil  carries  a 
club  with  him  wherever  he  wanders,  and  whatever  object 
he  is  allowed  to  touch,  from  that  moment  it  becomes  his 
property,  as  when  he  touched  the  Man  of  Uzz  anciently. 
Thus,  at  that  season  of  the  year  called  Michaelmas,  he  is 
said  to  touch  with  it  the  black-berries,  or  to  "  throw  his 
club  over  them,"  none  daring  after  that  period  to  eat  one 
of  them,  or  the  "wornis  will  eat  their  ingangs."  That 
"boy  too,  who  personifies  an  infernal  being  at  Yule  time, 
ivith  face  besmeared  with  soot  or  grime^  and  a  sheep  skin 
"belted  round  him  with  a  straw  rope  "  wooly  side  out,  and 
ileshy  side  in,'*  as  the  song  of  Bryan  O'Linn  goes,  this  boy 
"bears  in  one  of  his  hands  a  club,  and  in  the  other  a  frying- 
pan,  as  he  rambles  from  house  to  house  with  his  com- 
Tades,  in  white  weeds;  and,  in  one  of  his  rhymes,  thus 
clescribes  himself — 

**  Here  come  I,  auld  Beelzebub, 

**  And  over  my  showther  I  carry  a  ciub^ 

**  And  in  my  hand  a  frying-pan, 

**  Sae  am  I  no  a  jolly  aulciman." 

See  more  of  this  article.  Yule  Boys,  There  are  many 
liowever,  who  dread  not  either  the  auld  boy  nor  his  dub^ 
"but  are  something,  as  the  poet  said,  of  Ingleby,  the  female 
'who  lately  astonished  Scotland,  by  laughing  at  fire;  her 
Hesh  remained  unhurt  in  the  strongest  flame  that  could  be 
made ;  she  could  too,  lick  with  her  tongue,  a  red  gaud  0^ 
€iimy  and  lap  up  a  mouthful  of  boiling  lead — 

**  If  Ingleby  ere  gangs  to  hell, 
**  Auld  Nick  will  ken  nae  whar  to  throw  her, 

"  She'll  stand  his  bleezes  like  himsell, 
**  He'll  no  can  make  Vi penny  o'  her." 

People  should  really  be  more  afraid  than  they  are  of 
that  pit  wide  yawning ;  and  I  myself  should  reflect  often  er 
on  the  matter  than  I  do,  for  I  find  I  have  not  been  an 
uncd  gude  boy. 


i68  DEI -    DEI 

Df/ii/s  Dizzen — The  number  13. 

De'il's  Milk — The  white  milky  sap  of  many  plants,  called 
so  because  of  its  bitter  taste.  There  is  much  of  it  in  the 
stem  of  the  siuifu  thistle, 

De'il's  Needle — A  large  insect  common  in  the  latter 
end  of  summer.  Its  body  and  wings  are  about  one  length, 
that  is,  three  inches.  It  haunts  mosses  and  moors :  it 
bites  hard  when  caught,  and  is  called  adder-hell  in  some 
districts  in  Scotland.  Some  say  it  stings,  but  this  it  does 
not;  and  whether  its  bite  be  poisonous  or  no,  I  have  not 
yet  learned,  nor  do  I  know  the  name  insectologists  give  it 
Frequently  t\vo  are  seen  flying  together,  and  in  conjunction. 
It  is  an  insect  not  much  beloved  in  the  country,  and  tall 
men  of  a  bad  disposition,  are  not  unfrequently  called 
De'ifs  needles^  and  sometimes  De'iPs  darning-fuedles.  See, 
for  more  respecting  them,  in  the  article,  Robin  Aree, 

Devilry  or  Devilry — To  illustrate  this  word,  I  may  give 
the  poem  named  the  "Devilry  o'  Drummorrel."  ^Vhen  I 
say  the  poem  at  any  time  before  I  give  it,  I  do  not  mean 
to  say  it  is  a  poem  well  known,  a  poem  that  has  been 
printed,  and  all  the  rest  of  it ;  I  only  mean  that  it  is  a  poem 
that  I  never  before  beheld  the  light. 

Daft  Davie  had  a  farm, 

And  it  was  ca'd  Drummorrel, 
The  soil  o*  it  was  na  warm. 

Bent  grew  on*t  and  sorrel. 

His  lairdy  had  a  daughter  fair, 

Nane  like  her  sae  bonny  ; 
She  had  the  e'en  and  the  hair 

Nature  gaes  na  mony. 

Wooers  cam  frae  every  airt 

To  court  the  lovely  Nancy, 
Hut  it  was  hard  to  shog  her  heart, 

No  ane  o'  em  could  she  fancy. 

She  cared  na  for  a  common  cheel 

De'il  the  single  spittle, 
Some  lord  she  thought  might  answer  weel, 

Her  whimsies  were  na  little. 


DEI    DEI  169 


Blawn  up  wi'  meikle  pride  hersell. 

And  helped  by  her  mither ; 
She  cared  na  what  did  wisdom  tell, 

It  never  made  her  swither. 

Wi'  her  did  Davie  fa'  in  love. 
And  wha  at  that  need  won'er, 

Whan  wi'  that  passion  she  did  move 
Younkers  mony  a  hun'er. 

He  da\mer'd,  doyl'd  about  the  farm, 
His  heart  ay  beating  queerly. 

Raving  about  her  every  charm 
And  how  he  lo'ed  her  dearly. 

**  O  !  Nannie,  thou's  a  heavenly  queen,' 

He  aften  owre  repeated  ; 
**The  like  o'  thee  nae  man  hath  seen, 
Nor  got  his  fancy  heated. " 


<< 


Upon  his  farm  there  was  a  co' 
Which  travellers  did  admire  ; 

Our  lady  ae  day  to't  wad  go, 
It  being  her  desire. 

Drummorrel  gat  a  scent  o'  this, 
And  down  tae  co*  gaed  linking, 

In  hopes  the  cheel  to  get  a  kiss, 
Wi  meikle  plotting  thinking. 

He  crawls  into  the  farthest  nook 
O'  the  auld  curious  chaumer. 

And  there  the  benmost  bink  he  took, 
Whar  Nick  learns  witches  glamour. 

Wi'  ladies  and  wi*  cannle-light 

Fair  Nancy  now  did  enter, 
To  see  the  famous  rustic  sight. 

It  was  a  daring  venter. 

Davie  e'es  the  lovely  maid, 

Ijonlf  how  his  heart  was  thumping  ; 
He  sees  her  coming  half  afraid. 

And  he's  prepared  for  jumping. 

He  letteth  Brst  an  hideous  yell, 
Then  claughted  at  the  lassie, 

Wha  thought  him  het  just  out  o'  hell, 
O  sadly  scared  was  she. 

Her  comrades  let  the  lantron  fa'. 

And  out  they  sprawchled  scraighing  ; 

lang  wast  or  they  cud  speak  ava. 
For  fainting  maist,  and  peching. 


170  DEI DEI 


Than  quoth  Drummorrel  to  the  girl 
**  Do  this,  or  I  can't  save  thee  ; 

**  (iae  we<l,  or  dorni  I  will  thee  whirl, 
**  Gae  wecl  Drummorrel  Davie." 

Sac  let  her  gae,  she  wauchlecl  out, 
VuiT  thing  she  was  na  fearie, 

It  was  the  De*il,  she  didna  doubt, 
Whilk  had  made  her  sae  earie. 

And  Davie,  wi'  his  wilyart  voice, 

I^y  i'  the  cavern  roaring  ; 
He  raised  an  awfu'  eldritch  noise, 

\\V  squeeling,  s(]uaching,  snoring. 

And  strange  to  tell,  or  it  was  lang 

I  le  gat  the  darling  lady, 
\Vi*  joy  he  owre  her  daily  sang 

A  happy  life-time  had  he. 

Thus  Drummorrel's  devilry 

May  show  the  world  that  wildness 
Succeedeth  to  a  high  degree 

Aboon  the  calm  o'  mildness. 


There  is  something  about  this  poem  which  reminds  us  of 
the  tale  of  "  Daft  Jock  M*Clean,"  so  I  may  also  give  it 
Jock  was  a  curious  enough  human  being;  not  altogether 
wise,  and  one  could  not  say  he  was  quite  an  idiot  either; 
yet  he  was  mostly  allowed  by  all  who  had  the  honor  of 
his  acquaintance,  to  want  a  few  pence  of  the  shillings  as 
the  saying  is. 

Well,  the  fellow  wandered  about  the  nit-umds  and  bum- 
sides^  and  one  lovely  sunny  summer  evening  he  met  with  a 
certain  Nobleman's  daughter.  This  young  woman  was 
extremely  bonny ;  her  eyes  bewitched  poor  Jock  M*Clean 
the  moment  he  saw  them,  and  made  him  stand  fast:  so 
the  wretch  stood  and  gaped  and  panted,  and  glowered  after 
the  yellow  hair'd  maiden,  until  she  went  out  of  his  sight 
past  a  turn  on  her  walk.  He  went  home  to  his  mother 
in  a  sad  state ;  love  was  burning  him  up  alive.  Sleep — he 
could  get  none  ;  and  how  to  have  a  kiss  of  the  fair  charmer, 
puzzled  him  much.  At  length  he  hit  on  a  plan  :  he  knew 
of  a  crab-tree   in    full  bearing:   he  went  and  pulled    the 


DEI DIE  171 

fruit,  and  rowed  them  along  the  fair  lady's  accustomed  walk, 
ending  the  row  in  a  deep  recess  of  the  wood,  in  a  dark  binwud 
grove.  The  bait  took ;  the  lady,  out  strolling,  seeing  the  crabs 
placed  in  this  manner,  followed  the  train  away  into  the  deep 
grove,  where  yock  lay  in  ambush  to  receive  her.  He  clasped 
the  sweet  soul  in  his  arms ;  she  screamed ;  he  kissed ;  she 
fainted — he  let  her  fall,  and  ran.  Some  people  working  near 
by,  hearing  the  cries  of  the  young  lady,  came  to  her  aid  :  soon 
they  caught  the  poor  daft  fellow,  who  simply  told  the  whole 
cause  of  the  uproar.  The  lady  pardoned  and  pitied  him, 
saying,  "  That  if  he  had  come  and  told  her  what  he  wanted, 
he  would  have  got  it,  without  putting  himself  to  so  much 
trouble,  and  her  in  such  jeopardy."  For  the  fellow's  craft, 
however,  she  gave  him  a  suit  of  new  clothes,  and  a  more 
flashy  fellow  than  he  was,  came  not  to  the  Belton  Fair  of 
Kirkcubrie  that  year,  and  some  girls  were  not  ashamed  to 
admire  Daft  yock  AP  Clean, 

Delfs — Marks  of  animals'  feet  in  soft  land. 

Demented — Deranged  in  mind.  Some  girls  go  demented  about 
some  men.  This  is  a  turn  of  mind  I  am  not  up  to :  if  the 
men  have  injured  them,  then  it  may  be  accounted  for ;  but 
for  pure  love,  it  beats  me  quite. 

De-Neti*les — A  kind  of  nettle  common  in  corn-fields,  and 
hurtful  to  the  reaper's  hands. 

Deuce — The  Devil ;  deuce  a  bit,  devil  a  bit. 

Deug — A  long  tough  man. 

Deugle — Any  thing  long  and  tough. 

Dibble — A  piece  of  pointed  wood  for  planting  with. 

Diet  o'  Examine — An  examination  of  honest  Christians  by 
their  parish  priest  about  religious  matters,  points  of  faith, 
grounds  of  salvation,  what  not  Wise  priests  examine  now 
none  at  all ;  others,  not  so  wise,  or  perhaps  wiser,  examine 
the  youths  of  their  flocks,  a  thing  surely  quite  right ;  and 


172  DIE DIN 

others,  more  foolish,  still  examine  all  "  hand  owre  head,^*  the 
young  and  the  old,  a  thing  in  many  respects  very  far  wrong ; 
nothing  but  impudent  country-folks  can  answer  properly  any 
questions  at  these  meetings.  The  modest,  and  they  are  still 
the  great  majority,  can  answer  nothing;  how  can  they;  when- 
ever they  speak  they  are  laughed  at,  and  timidity  debars  them 
finding  words  for  their  ideas :  yet  still  I  think  more  of  the 
religious  principles  of  that  person  who  can  answer  not  a  word, 
than  of  that  who  can.  The  one  is  mostly  found  to  have  the 
darling  heart,  and  the  heavenly  light  therein ;  the  other  we 
find  to  have  goodness  only  ^^  iip-dvepy  At  these  diets,  the 
priest,  and  many  of  the  heads  of  families,  have  a  "  diet " 
indeed,  of  good  beef  and  greens,  as  they  are  mostly  held  at 
the  wealthiest  of  the  country  people's  houses. 

Anciently,  when  the  minister  withdrew,  and  took  terror 
with  him,  a  fiddle  was  introduced,  and  dancing,  drink,  and 
fun  kept  up  to  an  early  hour  next  day,  which  pleased  the 
taste  of  many  as  well  as  the  question  of  "  effectual  calling^ 

Din — Noise  of  any  kind. 

Din — Dun,  the  colour.  "  It*s  a  mercy  dinness  is  na  sair,^  quoth 
an  eminent  wit  to  a  certain  auld  Lucky  who  had  the 
Ethiopian's  skin.  "How  that,  gude  man?"  (quoth  she);  wi* 
**  had  it  been  sae,"  he  returned,  "  you  and  me  wad  hae  been 
keeped  in  eternal  tonnent.'^ 

DiNGE — A  blow,  or  dinnage. 

Dingle  Dousie — A  piece  of  wood  burned  red  at  one  end  as  a 
toy  for  children.  The  mother  will  whirl  round  the  ignited 
stick  very  fast,  when  the  eye,  by  following  it,  seems  to  see  a 
beautiful  red  circle.  She  accompanies  this  pleasant  show  to 
her  bairns  with  the  following  rhyme ; — 

Dingle  dingle-dousie, 
The  cat's  a  lousy  : 
Dingle  dingle-dousie. 
The  dog's  a'  fleas. 


DIN DO  A  173 

Dingle  dingle-dousie, 

Be  crouse  ay,  be  crouse  ay  ; 

Dingle  dingle-dousie, 

Ye'se  hae  a  brose  o*  pease,  &c. 

Dink — To  walk  with  a  more  affected  air  when  in  dress  than 
when  not  so. 

DiNNLE — To  quiver,  to  shake,  &c. 

Dinted — Struck,  as  with  love. 

DiRDUM — A  battle  with  words. 

DiRLiN — Acute  pam,  from  scaulding. 

Dish'd — Sorted,  put  in  dishes. 

DiSHALAGO — Coltsfoot ;  a  broad-leaved  herb.  Some  use  it  as  a 
substitute  for  tobacco :  it  is  a  bad  weed  when  it  gets  into 
land ;  there  is  no  getting  it  out  again,  it  roots  so  deep. 

DisH-A-LooF — A  singular  rustic  amusement.  One  lays  his  hand 
down  on  a  table ;  another  clashes  his  upon  it ;  a  third  his 
on  that,  and  on  so.  When  all  the  players  have  done  this,  the 
one  who  has  his  hand  on  the  board,  pulls  it  out,  and  lays  it 
on  the  one  uppermost :  they  all  follow  again  in  rotation,  and 
so  a  continual  clashing  or  dashing  is  kept  up ;  hence  the  name 
dish.  Those  who  win  the  ganae  are  those  who  stand  out 
longest,  viz.  those  who  are  best  at  enduring  pain.  Tender 
hands  could  not  stand  it  a  moment :  one  dash  of  a  rustic 
ioofyiovXA  make  the  blood  spurt  from  the  top  of  every  finger. 
It  is  a  piece  of  pastime  to  country  lads  of  the  same  nature 
as  Hard-knuckles y  which  see. 

DiSHCLOUT — The  cloth  dishes  are  washed  with. 

DisHNAP — The  vessel  dishes  are  washed  in. 

DisjASKET — Fatigued  out;  low  in  body,  mind,  and  clothing. 

DissLE — Trial  severe  of  any  kind. 

DoACH — A  waterfall ;  or  a  trap  for  fish  in  a  waterfall. 


174  DOA DOD 

DoACHS  o'  Tongue-land  Water — The  waterfalls  of  the  Dee. 
Their  roaring  noise  is  heard  afar.  Traps  are  set  in  them  to 
catch  salmon  fish. 

DoAF — Without  animation,  lifeless.  The  earth  of  a  garden  is 
"doaf"  when,  though  it  seems  fat,  nothing  will  grow  on  it 
but  weeds.  That  part  of  the  body  is  "  doaf  "  which  is  devoid 
of  feeling. 

DoAFFiE — A  lifeless  fellow. 

DocHTiE — Strong  beyond  appearance. 

DocKENs — Dockweeds.  Mine  worthy  original  SadUr  Hailiday 
was  once  asked  by  a  gentleman — what  was  the  best  method 
of  extirpating  docketis  out  of  gardens  ?  "  Take  a  spade,"  quoth 
the  Saddler^  "  and  howk  them  out,  dinna  lae  a  single  talon  o' 
the  root  ahin ;  wash  and  lay  them  on  the  yard-dyke  to  dry ; 
then  bum  them  ;  thaf  s  the  best  plan  I  ever  kend."  In  truth 
it  surely  was  a  most  effectual  one. 

DoDDLES — Hard  pellets  of  dirt  which  form  on  the  tails  of 
sheep.  When  they  begin  to  get  young  grass  to  eat  in  the 
spring,  they  make  a  rattling  noise  on  other  when  the  animals 
run. 

DoDjELL  Reepan — A  bcautiful  wild  flower  common  in  marshy 
places.  It  is  something  of  the  figure  of  the  feather  in  some 
soldiers'  caps ;  of  a  conical  form;  not  unlike  a  head  of  Indian 
com,  or  a  firrtap,  the  common  colour  of  it  is  a  lovely  red, 
but  sometimes  it  is  seen  white ;  its  smell  is  very  fine,  and  its 
root  is  of  a  bulbous  nature,  and  very  much  like  the  body  of 
an  infant  from  the  waist  downwards.  I  have  been  thus 
particular,  because  I  cannot  find  it  hinted  at  in  any  books  of 
botany  that  have  fell  in  my  way,  and  for  some  other  causes 
which  will  just  now  be  told.  There  are  few  districts  in 
Scotland  which  have  not  their  own  name  to  this  plant ; 
in  Annandale,  and  by  the  border^  it  is  vieadow  rocket ;  in  the 


/ 


DOD  DOD  175 

west,  and  greater  part  of  Ireland,  mount  caper;  t\it  yirbwives, 
my  famous  herbalists,  tell  me  that  this  yirb,  above  all  others, 
should  not  be  knowni  to  man ;  that's  to  say,  its  virtues 
should  not  be  knowm  to  him ;  but  as  I  have  come  to 
know  what  these  virtues  ascribed  to  this  plant  are,  without 
these  old  females'  leave  and  without  promising  to  any  one  I 
should  keep  the  important  mystic,  so  I  fail  not  to  tell  it. 

The  roots  of  this  herb  then,  when  decocted,  that  is, 
boiled,  and  then  mingled  with  a  lukewarm  lover*s-meat, 
the  female  will  get  burning  in  love  with  the  male  who  did 
it,  although  she  was  very  indifferent  about  him  before,  as 
soon  as  she  has  swallowed  the  mixture,  and  will  follow 
her  object  through  thick  and  thin,  in  spite  of  all  opposi- 
tion, until  she  obtains  her  love  adored.  How  far  this 
holds  true  I  cannot  say ;  persons  have  been  pointed  out 
to  me  who  have  tried  the  same  with  success ;  and  the  tales 
respecting  which  are  indeed  wonderful  pieces  of  fancy. 
But  much  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  this  reepan  or  rocket- 
juice  is  a  composition  of  mere  nonsense ;  had  there  been 
any  reality  in  it,  I  should  not  have  been  the  first  to  give 
it  to  the  world ;  for  nothing  of  a  hurtful  nature  to  man- 
kind shall  come  from  me,  if  I  am  aware  of  it.  Methinks 
this  sap  will  aid  Cupid  nothing  more  than  a  spioit  d 
tobacco  brew.  There  is  a  poem  in  my  wallet,  entitled 
"  Something  on  the  death  d  Dodjell  Reepan,  a  game- 
keeper ; "  whether  it  is  my  own  production  or  no  I  cannot 
exactly  say ;  it  smells  something  of  my  ugly  fist.  It  may 
'  here  be  given,  though  there  be  nothing  in  it  about  the 
plant  in  question  but  the  name  : — 

And  Dodjell  Reepan's  dead  and  damn'd, 

The  poachers  whistling  do  tell ; 
And  he  s  hung  up  on  a  nag  to  be  ham'd, 

In  the  reekiest  ncuk  o'  hell. 

Mony  a  brute  he  laid  fu'  caul, 

\Vi'  his  twa  barrletl  gun; 
But  death  himsell  at  last  did  maul, 

And  thought  it  noble  fun. 


176  DOD DOl) 

He  missed  a  fit  on  the  tap  o*  a  dyke, 

Ae  day  there  lay  wrides  o'  snaw, 
And  into  ane  o'  em  the  petty  tyke 

Head  foremost  wi'  a  dart  did  fa'. 

He  kicked  wi*  fury  three  times  at  the  sun, 

Whaun  he  was  a  smooring  fast ; 
But,  alas,  the  scalbert*s  days  war  run 

In  the  snaw  wride  he  graned  his  last 

M uny  a  puir  cheel  the  hallion  did  trail, 
Wha  had  may  be  shot  a  paitric  or  hare. 

And  ram'd  him  'thout  remorse  i'  the  auld  stinking  jail, 
Whar  the  day-light  ne'er  did  stare. 

For  him  a  shepherd's  collie  durst  na  bark, 

Nor  a  loving  gibb-cat  gie  a  mew  ; 
The  corbie  durst  na  croak,  nor  the  flecket-pyet  chark. 

Else  to  death  wad  he  them  pursue. 

Ae  day  he  ram'd  his  han'  in  a  fumart  hole  ; 

The  hole  was  i'  the  auld  TafT-dyke  ; 
But  sic  pertness  the  fumart  cudna  thole, 

Sae  snacked  the  thum'  o'  the  tyke. 

And  sank  its  alson  tusks  to  the  white  hard  l)ane, 

Whilk  pizioned  the  thum'  for  ay  ; 
And  till  he  gat  its  head  besnang'd  wi'  a  stane, 

Black  bawdrons  wad  na  let  gae. 

It  wad  hae  gard  a  hauf-dead  body  laugh. 

To  see  Dodjell  louping  about. 
And  gieing  the  hearty  scraigh  and  squagh, 

While  the  fumart  hang  by  him  fu'  stout. 

The  harmless  brock  too  he  punsed  in  his  den, 

And  worried  him  without  grief, 
Altho'  auld  brocksie  ne'er  ruffled  a  pen, 

O*  the  game  burds  charged  by  the  squeef 

He  nicher'd  unco  af\en  like  a  new  spean'd  foal  : 

Was  scooling  and  glieing  ilk  gate  ; 
His  clyping  manners  wha  cud  thole  ; 

He  gat  aft  a  braw  clowr'd  pate. 

He's  gaen  heels-owre-gowdie  i'  the  mools  ; 

Ijct  him  //V  fAt^rtTy  his  mourners  are  few  ; 
He  was  as  mean  a  hyple  as  ere  graced  fools, 

And  a  hatefu'er  wratch  nane  e  er  knew. 

For  God's  sake  ye  lairds  wha  be  sportsmen  mad, 

Scare  sic  vile  trash  af  yer  Ian', 
I'nless  they  be  cronnies  for  ye  base  and  !)ad, 

And  w'cv  frirh  do  best  un(ler>lan'. 


DOI  DOM  177 

Doit — A  copper  coin ;  the  half  of  the  boddle ;  the  twelfth  of 
an  English  penny. 

Doited — In  a  state  of  dotage. 

Dolly  Beardy — In  Galloway  now  slumbers  a  singular  old  song 
and  dance,  called  Dolly  Beardy,  After  going  through  a 
world  of  trouble  with  great  pleasure,  I  got  a  hint  respecting 
the  song,  and  here  is  the  result  of  that — 

Dolly  Beardy  was  a  lass, 
De'il  the  like  o'r  on  the  grass, 
Her  lad  was  but  a  moidert  ass. 

Hey,  Dolly  Beardy. 

• 

Dolly  Beardy  had  a  leg, 
Ay,  and  she  cud  mak  it  fleg, 
And  sometimes  she  was  got  wi'  e^, 

Hooh,  Dolly  Beanly. 

Dolly  Beardy  had  a  cow, 

Black  and  white  about  the  mou'. 

She  keeped  her  ay  rifting  fu', 

Smock,  Dolly  Beardy. 

Dolly  Beardy  she  cud  whud. 
About  the  bonny  birken  wud, 
In  spring  time  whan  the  saugh  did  bud. 

Sweet,  Dolly  Beardy. 

Dolly  Beardy  lo'ed  a  cheel, 
His  heart  was  cauld,  it  cudna  feel, 
Sae  him  and  her  gaed  baith  tae  de'il, 

Ha,  DoUy  Beardy. 

Dolly  Beardy  steek  thy  een. 

They  do  confound  us  whan  their  seen, 

We  lang  to  cuddle  thee  ateen, 

Dear,  Dolly  Beardy. 

Dolly  Beardy's  blinking  e'e 
Fairly  hath  dumfounder'd  me. 
She  is  a  hizzie  fu'  o'  glee, 

Mark,  Dolly  Beardy. 

Dolly  Beardy  ye  hae  craft, 
Dolly  Beardy  we  are  saft, 
Gallowa  'bout  thee's  nm  daft, 

Hech,  Dolly  Beardy, 

Dominie — A    schoolmaster.     Dominie    Hutchison    d    Clatuh- 

enpluck^   author    of   that    learned  work  the  Infant^   price 

.    one  penny.     One  of  the  rarest  schoolmasters  in  Galloway, 

M 


178  DON  DOO 

and  quite  an  original  He  is  up  to  all  the  various  branches 
of  learning,  and  teaches  his  scholars  on  the  natural  plan; 
that  is  to  say,  whatever  be  the  bent  the  Dominie  checks  it 
not ;  so  his  pupils  become  fond  of  him,  and  full  of  love. 
Many  he  fits  out  for  college,  and  some  kirks  in  Scotland 
have  his  pupils  preaching  in  them. 

To  his  various  lore  he  adds  that  of  ^sculapius ;  and  the 
Dominie's  medical  skill  is  in  high  repute  in  the  Moors.  None 
can  "  bluid "  with  him ;  none  can  remove  viruUnt  so  and 
so's,  like  he ;  and  none  can  die  without  receiving  a  visit  or 
two  first  from  the  Dominie,  I  conclude  with  him  at  present; 
but  the  article  Peatnuik  will  bring  the  philosopher  again  on 
the  carpet 

DoNSY — Neat,  clean,  honest-like. 

DooL — Sorrow ;  also  a  place  of  refuge. 

DooL-HiLLS  or  DooN-HiLLS — There  are  several  hills  in  Gallo- 
way whereon  have  stood  castles  and  other  strengths  of  yore, 
termed  Dool  or  Doon-hills,  These  places  of  refuge  seem  to 
have  existed  prior  to  the  Roman  invasion,  as  the  name  Dod 
or  Doon  is  never  given  to  hills  whereon  are  the  remains  of 
Roman  camps ;  the  labours  of  these  hills  then  belong  to  the 
ancient  British  or  some  Scandinavian  wanderers. 

DooLS — A  school  game ;  and  school  games  are  by  no  means 
things  unworthy  observation,  as  many  of  them  bespeak 
matters  of  the  olden  time ;  the  one  of  dools  then,  amongst 
others,  hints  at  something  of  this  nature ;  the  dools  are  places 
marked  with  stones,  where  the  players  always  remain  in 
safety — where  they  dare  neither  be  caught  by  the  hand  nor 
struck  with  balls ;  it  is  only  when  they  leave  these  places  of 
refuge  that  those  out  of  the  doom  have  any  chance  to  gain 
the  game,  and  get  in,  and  leave  the  doom  they  frequentiy 
must ;  this  is  the  nature  of  the  game.  Now  this  game  seems 
to  have  been  often  played  in  reality  by  our  ancestors  about 
their  doon-hills. 


DOO  DOG  179 

*^OoL-STRiNG — A  piece  of  black  crape  put  round  the  hat  to 
show  the  world  we  are  in  dool  and  sorrow ;  mourning  deeply 
about  the  death  of  some  dear  friend  or  relative  ;  the  nearest 
of  kin  to  the  deceased  have  commonly  the  largest  dool- 
strings.  When  this  piece  of  fashion  is  considered  a  little 
philosophically,  it  shews  itself  a  thing  of  vanity  at  once ; 
those  always  feel  the  keenest  sensations  of  grief  who  wear 
nothing  of  the  kind.  I  have  seen  fellows  with  them  hanging 
half  down  their  backs,  attending  the  funerals  of  their  wives, 
who  God  knows  if  they  felt  very  severely.  Genuine  sorrow 
is  like  charity,  it  detests  all  shew  and  ostentation.  Some 
hypocrites  never  unrobe  their  chapeau  of  the  dool-string, 
but  keep  it  constantly  on  for  years  together,  though  in  course 
of  time  it  has  changed  its  hue  from  black  to  browTi,  and 
becomes  frumpled,  like  a  piece  of  dry  sea-weed. 

Aidd  Barrclye  was  a  character  somewhat  of  this  kind  ;  he 
used  frequently  to  take  a  trip  over  to  the  Isle  of  Man  in 
quest  of  cattle.  In  one  of  these  rambles  he  was  attended 
by  a  celebrated  wag,  nicknamed  Sheeruess  ;  they  had  been 
riding  out  on  little  Manx  ponies  in  search  of  their  object 
one  day,  and  were  returning  in  the  evening,  to  pass  the  night 
in  the  gay  little  town  of  Douglas,  when  Sheemess  intimated 
to  his  friend  Barrclye,  that  he  would  ride  forward  and  see 
to  find  proper  accommodation  for  them  and  their  shelties, 
which  was  agreed  on.  Away  scampered  Mac^  and  on 
galloping  up  the  principal  street,  he  bawled  out  repeatedly 
to  the  populace,  "  To  clear  the  street,  Barrclye's  coming  ; " 
which  astonished  the  Manxmen  much.  They  imagined  by 
this  that  Barrclye  must  be  a  lord  or  duke,  of  mighty 
eminence,  attended  by  a  grand  retinue ;  so  they  housed 
instantly,  and  filled  every  window,  as  anxious  spectators  of 
the  coming  scene.  But  lo  !  how  were  they  deceived,  wheni 
instead  of  the  glittering  cavalcade  their  fancies  had  drawn, 
Tode  hobbling  into  the  amphitheatre  Auld  Barrclye,  Hissing 
and  hootings  instantly  began,  followed  by  an  attack  on  our 


i8o  1)00  DOW 

old  drover  and  his  poney,  who  could  not  withstand  the 
shock  of  rotten  eggs  with  which  they  were  assailed,  gave 
way.  Barrclye  was  unhorsed,  and  for  once  lost  his  old  hat 
and  dark  brown  dool-string, 

DooNHEAD-cLocK — A  yellow  flower  common  in  the  fields. 
When  the  flower  fades  away,  a  fine  down  is  left  behind  on 
its  head.  Rustics,  to  know  the  time  of  the  day,  with  thdr 
tale  of  it,  pull  this  plant,  and  puff  away  at  its  downy  head; 
and  the  number  of  puffs  it  takes  to  blow  the  down  from  off 
it  is  reckoned  by  them  the  time  of  the  day.  So  comes  the 
name  Doon-head-clock. 

DooNS — The  same  with  Dools,  which  see. 

Dottle — The  little  piece  of  half  burnt  tobacco  left  in  the 
pipe  after  smoking,  useful  when  another  pipe-full  is  to  be 
consumed  in  lighting  it 

DoucAT — A  dovecot 

DouDLiEDoo — A  song  of  a  singular  amorous  nature. 

DouHALL — An  easy-minded  man ;  one  who  rather  wishes 
himself  to  be  considered  a  fool.  Such  characters  are  by  no 
means  rare. 

DouKER — The  British  bird  cormorant  See  more  of  them  in 
the  articles  "  Mochratn  Laird*'  and  "  Scaurt^ 

DouKiNG — Bathing. 

DouNDRAUGHT — An  Oppressive  load. 

DouNwoTH — A  declivity. 

Doup — The  hinder  end  of  anything.  The  doup  of  a  candle, 
the  doup  of  the  day,  &c 

DovERiN — Slumbering. 

Dow — To  be  able. 

DowiK — Melancholv. 


v 


DOW  DOW  i8i 

-LYING — A    woman    is    said    to    be    about    so    when 
is  on  the  eve  of  introducing  another  sinner  into  this 
•Id. 

-Sitting — A  place  to  sit  comfortably  down  in.  The 
es  are  often  not  very  willing  to  wed  lads  who  have  not  a 
n-sitting,  like  myself,  to  take  them  to ;  and  a  lad  not  un- 
om  looks  out  for  a  lass  who  has  the  blunt;  one,  which 
2  he  married  to,  he  would  have  no  trouble  with,  such  as 
aiding  various  things  for  pUneshing  and  taking  up  house ; 
whom  he  might  just  draw  in  his  chair,  and  sit  down, 
lOut  giving  himself  any  concern  about  the  troubles  of  this 
Id.  Many  of  our  auld  Scotch  sangs  are  nothing  more  than 
)unts  of  down-sittings,  which  our  lads  have  from  time  to 
I  laid  before  their  dears,  in  order  to  entice  them  to  marry, 
in  Ramsey  causes  Roger,  in  his  famous  pastoral,  to  give 
nie  an  inventory 

"  O'  a'  the  woo'  he  did  at  Lammas  sell, 

**  Shorn  frae  his  bob-tailM  bleaters  on  the  fell." 

of  his  other  effects.  But  the  strangest  detail  of  a  down- 
ng  I  have  any  where  heard  of,  was  that  of  the  laird  o'  the 
Dws's,  to  a  young  milliner  in  Garliestown — 

I  hae  fifty  acre  o*  gude  white  Ian*, 

And  a  meikle  meadow  that's  vearly  ma^n, 

Twa  hunner  acre  o*  muirs  and  craigs. 

And  as  warran'  as  meikle  o'  wild  moss  hags ; 

I  hae  twunty  stirks,  and  a  dizzen  yell  nowt, 

Wi'  hay  to  gie  them  when  they  hungry  rowt : 

I  hae  four-score  ewes,  twa-score  o'  them's  tippet, 

And  weighty  their  fleeces  wey  whan  they  are  clippet ; 

Twunty  gates  I  hae  now,  I  ance  had  but  nine, 

A  sow  and  a  boar,  and  sax  ither  swine, 

Twa  tykes,  sax  cats,  but  ye'll  see  them  a', 

My  bonnie  young  lassie,  gin  ye'll  come  awa. 

How  happy  we'll  be  in  my  father's  auld  house, 

Well  sit  and  we'll  clatter  wi*  ither  fu'  crouse ; 

Ye'll  link  on  the  pan,  and  fry  braxy  hams 

While  the  herd  and  mc  try  a  game  at  the  dams. 

For  o !  in  my  kitchen  the  hams  do  hing 

Sac  thrang  they  canna  get  room  to  swing ; 

I  hae  sackfu's  o'  carrots,  and  sybows  and  pease, 

How  fucly  we'll  live,  my  dear  lass,  at  our  ease ; 


i82  DOW DRA 

My  peatdaig  is  fu*  o*  links  o*  gude  peats, 
Whilk  the  breath  o*  the  north  sae  finely  heats. 
And  my  presses  wi*  blankets  are  weel  panged  a', 
As  thou  shairt  see,  lassie,  gin  thouMt  come  awa. 

The  milliner,  methinks,  would  have  been  foolish  if  she  had 
not  left  the  bare  trade  of  the  needle  for  the  laird  and  his  down- 
sitting. 

DowpDOWN — Squatting ;  or  to  squat  out  of  sight  suddenly. 

Doyl'd — Crazed  in  mind. 

DoYLOCHS — Persons  doyled.  Bums,  the  poet,  was  for  many 
years  thought  to  be  ^^  day  led  "^  by  those  who  lived  with  him 
and  saw  his  ways.  This  was  when  he  was  composing  those 
poems  which  natiure's  library  will  ever  contain. 

Drabb — A  colour  between  white  and  dun. 

Drabbles — Droppings  when  sipping  food. 

Drachled — Wet,  covered  with  mud. 

Draidgie — A  funeral  entertainment  The  following  is  a 
question,  "\Vhether  it  is  more, proper  to  have  a  feast  on 
a  person's  entering  this  world,  than  one  when  it  bids  fare- 
well ?  " 

The  case  much  depends  on  circumstances :  if  it  be  an 
heir  to  an  estate  that  has  made  entree^  then  a  roaring  feast 
over  him  cannot  be  thought  improper;  but  if  any  other 
almost,  it  is  not  just  reasonable  to  do  so.  Why  should 
we  rejoice  at  a  being's  coming  into  this  world  so  full  of 
sin,  crime,  trial,  wretchedness,  and  woe?  Surely,  it  is 
rather  mockery  to  hail  it  with  gladness  into  a  land  of  sorrow. 
Was  it  into  a  paradise,  the  thing  would  be  proper  ;  and 
when  it  is  a  child  of  poor  parents,  the  thing  is  a  burlesque 
on  common  sense.  On  the  other  side  of  the  question, 
an  old  bachelor,  turning  t/ie  corner^  and  leaving  behind 
nothing  that  will  miss  him,  is  not  unlike  the  heir  in 
the  other  case.  A  good  dredgie  over  him  cannot  be  for 
wrong.     Let  the  gossips  take  a  hearty  bumper  over  him, 


DRA  DRA  183 

and  wish  his  soul  a  safe  landing  on  the  far  distant  shore : 
That  shore  to  which  many  a  Columbus  sails  for,  but 
never  returns. 

But  if  it  be  any  other,  the  thing  has  not  reason  with 
it  to  say  it  is  right ;  for  all  others  almost  will  be  missed  and 
mourned  for  by  some.  Moreover,  we  know  not  how  soon 
we  shall  follow,  so  should  not  be  merry.  Were  we  sure 
we  should  all  go  to  Heaven  when  we  died,  then  might  we 
rejoice  at  the  death  of  a  friend;  but  this  we  are  never 
sure  of.  The  question  therefore,  nearly  hangs  on  even 
balance : — 

For  not  to  be  ashamed  to  live, 

Nor  yet  afraid  to  die, 
What  would  I  not  with  pleasure  give. 

If  had  the  giving  I. 

A  miUion  earths,  if  they  were  mine, 

Composed  of  solid  gold, 
I'd  give  without  remorse  or  whine, 

To  have  my  soul  inrolled. 

Perhaps  there  is  a  den  in  Hell 

A  fitting  up  for  me, 
Where  I  eternally  must  yell 

In  horrid  misery. 

Never  to  have  a  moment's  ease, 

Nor  feel  one  spring  of  joy, 
?'or  torturing  demons,  who  will  tease, 

And  all  delights  destroy. 

O  !  would  some  angel  in  mine  ear 

This  intimation  sound — 
**  Mactaggart,  thou  hast  nought  to  fear, 

•*  Heaven  hath  thee  worthy  found. 

'*  In  patience  wait  a  little  time, 

*  *  Soon  thou  shalt  be  at  rest, 
**  Be  in  the  grand  Empyrean  clime, 

**  Amongst  thy  Father's  bL-st." 

But  long  on  earth  I  may  remain 

In  doubt  and  darkness  drear, 
A  sinner  marked  with  many  a  stain. 

Before  such  things  I  hear. 

And  there's  a  chance  I  never  may 

Hear  such  like  things  at  all. 
Yet  for  them  I  will  ever  pray, 

Tho'  I  should  downward  fall. 


1 84  DRA  DRE 

I  read  the  Scriptures,  and  believe, 

But  whiles  I  them  forget, 
Vice  her  webs  around  me  weave, 

And  I  can*t  break  the  net 

Tm  told  it  is  the  heat  of  youth. 

And  that  'twill  wear  away, 
O  !  would  it  so,  and  let  the  truth 

Ne'er  leave  me  night  nor  day. 

Drappie — A  little  spirits. 

Drappykins — Drops  or  drams  of  spirituous  liquors. 

Drap-ripe — Drop-ripe. 

Draw — A  curling  term,  meaning  to  give  the  stone  all  the  pith 
in  the  arm. 

Draw  a  Wutter  Shot — ^A  curling  phrase,  signifying  to  give 
the  stone  so  much  strength  that  it  may  slide  the  length  of 
the  mark,  and  no  farther. 

Drawing  Cuts — Casting  lots ;  pieces  of  straw  or  wood  are 
cut  of  various  lengths,  according  to  the  numbers  that  mean 
to  try  their  luck.  One  then  takes  and  arranges  them  in 
private,  putting  all  their  ends  close  together  in  one  hand,  so 
that  none  of  them  may  project  beyond  one  another ;  the 
other  hand  is  laid  on  this,  so  that  nothing  may  be  seen  but 
the  ends.  So  the  drawing  goes  on,  and  the  one  who  draws 
the  longest  cut  is  Jonah  of  the  party.  Bessie  Bell  and 
Mary  Grey,  they  war  sic  bonny  lasses,  that  their  ^oe, 
by  Allan  Ramsey's  advice,  draws  cuts  to  know  which  he 
shall  have. 

Dreadnought — A  top  coat 

Dree — To  endure. 

Dreech — To  be  plodding,  constant  at  work,  steady  as  the 
water  running. 

Dreel — To  drill,  to  exercise  soldiers.  When  xoluntecrs 
lately  started  in  every  parish  to  defend  the  country,  in  case 
of  a  Buonaparte  invasion,  a  country  laird  who  commanded, 
or  dreePd  a  party   of  these  raw  military  lads,   used    fi'e- 


DRE  DRI  185 

quently  to  forget  the  technical  words  of  command,  when  he 
had  need  of  them,  to  the  no  small  amusement  of  both  his 
company  and  its  spectators.  Once,  when  the  order  should 
have  been,  "Rear  rank,  step  forward,"  he  cried  out,  for- 
getting the  proper  term,  hack  raWy  start  forret  At  another 
time,  when  "  right  about  wheel "  should  have  been  the  thing, 
he  came  out  with  the  homely  phrase,  conie  roufi  like  a  iigget. 
I  should  have  liked  to  have  heard  this  captain's  orders  at 
such  a  place  as  Waterloo. 

Dresser — A  piece  of  furniture  in  kitchens  for  holding  plates ^ 
bowls,  noggUSy  &c. 

Dribble — A  small  quantity  of  spirits ;  a  few  drops,  not  a 
mighty  gush ;  a  dribbling  day^  a  day  that  does  not  know 
well  whether  to  be  wet  or  dry. 

Driddle — To  saunter,  to  step  about  carelessly. 

Drifflin — Raining  slowly. 

Drift — A  flock,  a  drove,  also  intention. 

Dringin — Not  working,  hanging  about. 

Drive  a  Rig — A  person  is  said  to  be  able  to  '^ dritfc  a  rig'^ 
when  able  to  reap  as  well  as  other  reapers,  and  as  fast  He 
is  thought  to  be  a  youth  of  strength  who  can  do  this  at 
fifteen  years  of  age,  and  the  rustics  applaud  him  accord- 
ingly ;  though  I  would  advise  all  young  lads  not  to  strain 
themselves  for  this  praise,  they  will  get  no  thanks  for  it 
when  old  age  attacks  them  sooner  than  it  should  do,  bring- 
ing with  it  a  thousand  evils,  as  they  may  plainly  see  if  they 
look  round  them.  Be  not  men,  therefore,  in  any  respect, 
imtil  nature  says  it  is  full  time. 

Driving  the  Pleuch — This  is  done  away  with  in  Scotland 
now,  and  it  would  be  well  for  the  farmers  in  England  if 
they  did  so  also.  It  is  the  using  a  number  of  horses 
far  more  than  needful,  and  employing  a  man  more  than 
enough  to  manage  one  plough.     This  man,  or  rather  boy, 


1 86  DRO  DRO 

was  called  with  us  anciently,  the  ^^  driver  d  the  pUuch^ 
and  had  mostly  a  poor  life  of  it  from  the  ploughman, 
or  the  one  who  steered  the  plough,  as,  when  any  thing 
went  wrong,  the  boy  was  always  blamed.  Sometimes 
these  boys  would  have  got  angry,  drove  the  horses  fest, 
run  the  plough  against  rocks,  and  caused  the  crusty  old 
ploughman  to  be  flung  breathless  from  the  stiliSj  with  a 
broken  rib  or  so. 

Drochen — A  very  short  little  man.  I  have  heard  some  say 
of  such,  that  "  they  cud  na  breest  a  ratton  af  a  peat ;"  that 
is  to  say,  they  could  not  mount  unto  the  back  of  a  rat, 
even  of  a  turf,  being  so  short ;  and  that  when  they  were 
on  horseback,  they  look  like  a  tcuU  on  a  tammack  ;  a  toad 
on  a  little  hill. 

Drogget — Woollen  cloth  strangely  dyed,  worn  by  countiy 
girls  ;  it  is  a  slatish  blue. 

Drought — Dryness. 

Drouket — Drenched,  as  with  rain. 

Droughty — Inclining  to  dryness  ;  some  tiplers  are  still  in  that 
state,  and  would  dxvc^fire  atid  brimstone^  and  put  them  in  a 
brandy  glass. 

Drow — An  undefinable  quantity  of  water. 

Drowning  the  Miller — We  are  said  to  be  drowning  the 
millery  when  we  are  pouring  in  too  large  a  quantity  of 
water  among  the  whisky  to  be  mixed  into  grog ;  and  when 
we  over-do  the  thing  thus — we  have  drowned  the  miller; 
the  phrase  is  very  ancient,  and  comes  from  a  just  cause ; 
if  too  much  water  be  let  run  on  a  mill,  the  wheel 
becomes  drowned^  as  it  were,  and  will  not  move  the 
machinery;  now,  if  the  big  or  outer  wheel  be  drowned, 
the  miller  may  be  said  to  be  also  drowned,  for  he  is  flung 
idle,  and  useless,  when  his  mill  will  not  work.  "  Dinna 
drown   the    miller    then,''   ye  who   take  grog  by   a   time, 


DRU  DUM  187 

for  it  will  render  the  machinery  of  your  frames  no  good ; 
swallow  little  water,  and  then  the  miller^  which  is  in  this 
case  the  heart,  will  not  be  drowned^  but  beat  away  quite 
active. 

Druckensome — Inclined  to  drink  to  excess. 

Drummock — Cold  water  mixed  with  oatmeal. 

Drummylan — Wet  land  of  gentle  curves,  and  of  cold  till  bot- 
tom. 

Drums — Curved  wet  land. 

Drunted — Petted,  huffed,  &c. 

Drunts — Fits  of  pettedness. 

Druttle — An  useless,  good-for-nothing  person. 

Dubskelpers — Persons  who  ride  fast  on  horseback — **  And 
send  the  wash  (or  dubs)  about  on  both  sides  of  the  way" — 
Like  John  Gilpin. 

DuDDERON — A  person  in  rags. 

Duffart — A  dull  person. 

DuLLBERT — The  same  as  above. 

Dulse — Sea-weed  which  grows  on  the  rocks ;  some  are  fond  of 
eating  it 

DuLLTS — That  pupil  at  the  foot  of  his  class. 

DuMCHASERS — A  species  of  male  sheep,  which  seem  to  be 
eunuchs  by  nature  ;  they  chace  and  spoil  the  ewes  in  the  rut- 
ting season. 

Dumfounder'd — Stupified,  quite  overthrown,  foundered  in 
some  voyage  of  ambition. 

Dummie — A  dumb  person ;  or  one  so  deaf  that  will  not 
hear. 


i88  DUM DUN 

DuMNED — A  hard,  constant  step  in  walking. 

DuMPLiNS — Puddings  made  of  sheep's  blood,  fat,  and  oat- 
meal. 

DuM-swAUL — Dumb-swell.  A  swell  of  the  ocean,  that 
maketh  no  noise ;  commonly  these  swells  are  the  largest 
waves  that  are  seen  before  storms  and  after  thenu  Sailors 
dread  no  waves  but  those  which  curve  at  the  top,  or  are 
made  up  of  broken  water.  It  is  singular  to  see  these  large 
waves,  called  Dumb-swaids^  when  there  is  no  wind,  when  the 
weather  is  quite  calm,  this  is  only  though  a  little  before 
the  coming  of  the  tempest  The  cause  is  the  undulating 
motion  of  the  mighty  waters ;  when  this  motion  is  given 
to  the  deep,  it  spreads  over  it  much  quicker  than  the 
hurricane  which  gives  it ;  the  storm  enters  the  "  wame  d  the 
wavesy^  as  Eddie  Ochiltree  would  say — silently  it  rolls  on, 
till  it  encounters  the  rock-bound  shore,  and  there  in  surges 
wild  it  roars.  I  wonder  what  makes  this  Eddie  so  often 
cross  my  mind,  it  is  because  he  is  the  most  poetical  character 
ever  Scott  drew,  and  will  live  the  longest  of  all  his  original 
family. 

DuNNERBREEKS — A  person,  such  as  an  old  cobler,  with 
breeches  so  barkened  or  stiff  and  sleek  wf  dirt,  that 
they  dunner,  when  struck,  like  a  dried  sheepskin;  that  is 
to  say,  makes  a  noise  like  distant  thunder.  I  have  seen 
a  somewhat  curious  poem,  which  I  may  here  give, 
ycleped 

THE  DEATH  O'  Dr.  DUNNERBREEKS. 

What  doolfu'  news  are  thae  we  hear, 
Our  tenner  hearts  wiU  never  bear, 
They  canna  stan'  sic  thumps  ava, 
They'll  burst  befuter'd  ane  and  a* 
Down  sink  our  spirits  faith  wi'  speed, 
For  Dr.  Dunner})reeks  is  dead. 
The  mighty  Dr.  pang'd  wi'  lair, 
Or  rather  wi'  infectious  air, 


DUN  DUN  189 

The  lengthen'd  lecturing  representer, 

The  original  experimenter ; 

(lis  haum  pan  was  aye  sae  fu'. 

The  mirkest  scene  he  cud  glowre  through. 

He  drew  out  wonners  by  the  slump, 

The  deepest  ocean  he  cud  pump. 

Just  at  a  glance  he  mair  wad  ken. 

Than  halfa  hunner  thoughty  men, 

The  theory  o'  the  yirth  at  ance. 

He  lighted  on  as  if  by  chance  ; 

And  set  at  nought  the  silly  clatters, 

O'  ithers  wi*  their  lues  and  waters, 

For  being  an  acute  discerner, 

Nae  Hutton  was  a  match  nor  Werner ; 

Sae  weel  he  kend  the  lay  o'  Stratas, 

His  judgment  ne'er  contained  erratas. 

He  traced  the  cause  o'  burning  mountains. 

And  queer  Icelandic  boiling  fountains, 

Shaw  d  reasons  mair  than  onv  can  show. 

Why  bursteth  out  the  fell  volcano  ; 

'Twas  just  as  reek  comes  frae  the  lum, 

Or  wun  frae  out  his  ain  braid  bom  ; 

For  he  delighted  much  in  air. 

He  lo'ed  his  nether  end  to  rair, 

And  ae  night  as  he  gaed  to  bed, 

Wi*  supper  in  his  kyte  weel  fed. 

Composed  o'  unco  mixie  maxies, 

Whilk  stough  thegether  waur  than  braxies. 

He  thought  he'd  an  experiment 

Try  then,  tho*  he  shou  d  it  repent ; 

Whilk  was  to  ken  if  he  was  able. 

Gin  kyted  air  was  inflammable. 

Like  oxygen,  or  hydrogen, 

As  said  by  mony  chymic  men, 

Sae  did  he  find  his  bounded  wame, 

Contained  meikle  o'  the  same. 

For  he  cud  never  stir  nor  stoop. 

But  out  in  strings  twad  quickly  proop  ; 

And  whan  he  let  it  frae  him  flee. 

Without  restraint  unsmother'd  free. 

The  room  wharin  he  was  wad  dinnle. 

Ay  a'  the  plenishen  wad  trinnle  ; 

Weel  then  he  fin's  a  quantom  form, 

Sae  he  prepareth  for  the  storm. 

To  ken  exactly  mf  it  was. 

Composed  o'  a  naming  gas. 

He  gat  a  burning  glim  then  ready. 

To  hand  it  to,  wi'  hand  fu'  steady  ; 

What  was  the  singular  effect. 

Say  ye  wha  sit  and  deep  reflect. 

Ye  wha  do  owre  ilk  ither  craw. 

In  drouthy  arts  like  Algebra. 

Wha  lye  and  think,  and  think  again, 

And  plot  awa  wi'  haurns  in  pain ; 

The  truth  o'  here,  is  sad  to  tell. 


I90  DUxN DYK 

A  tragic  fate  our  sage  befel, 

llie  tears  frae  baith  our  een  do  drap, 

And  on  the  yird  do  light  and  hap. 

The  gr.nd  experiment  proved  fatal, 

The  Dr.  fell,  and  lost  the  battle ; 

His  f — t  took  fire  in  a  crack. 

And  to  gasometer  flew  back. 

When  there  the  blue  inflated  air. 

Exploded  wi*  tremendous  rair. 

And  at  the  time  the  bag  did  burst. 

Some  s2Ly  philosophy  he  curst. 

Thus  went  the  man  wi'  mighty  head, 

Thus  Dunturbreeks  gaed  to  the  dead. 

Was  buried  deep  amang  the  mools, 

In  comer  set  aside  for  fools  ; 

There  let  him  sleep,  there  let  him  j/«<7/. 

His  saul  will  stink  the  de'ils  fiae  hell. 

DuNSH — To  but,  to  push,  &c. 
DuNT — A  blow,  also  to  palpitate. 
Dusty — ^A  name  for  a  miller. 
DwAMLE — To  faint,  or  look  like  fainting. 
DwAMLOCK — A  very  sickly  person. 
DwiNiNG — Pining,  decaying. 

Dyke — A  fence.  Anciently  dykes  were  built  for  confining 
mankind  to  certain  portions  of  the  earth ;  as  those  the 
Romans  built  in  Scotland,  to  keep  at  bay  the  daring  Scots  ; 
and  that  one  by  the  Chinese  to  hold  out  Tartars*,  considered 
one  of  the  wonders  of  the  world ;  now  they  are  only  used  to 
inclose  brute  cattle ;  some  people  make  a  trade  of  building 
dykes,  one  of  these  must  have  been  Davie  the  Dyker^  as  the 
following  Poem  doth  testify : 

What  horrid  news  are  thae  we  hear, 
Owre  true  they  be,  we  fear,  we  fear, 
Our  een  begin  to  brew  the  tear, 

Wi'  sabbing  speed  ; 
Puir  Davie  wham  we  lo'ed  dear, 

Is  smothcr'd  dead. 


DYK  DYK  191 

The  sclateban  o'  the  quarry  shott. 

Afore  our  worthy  out  o't  got, 

And  crush'd  him  lifeless'  on  the  spot, 

Without  remorse ; 
Sae  he  was  carried  to  his  cot, 

Ane  manglM  corse. 

O  !  dreadfu '  shocking  news  thae  be, 
The  body  we*ll  awa  and  see. 
Upon  his  back,  and  eke  his  knee. 

We  aft  war  borne  ; 
Us  bo3rs  about  may  lang  for  he. 

Lament  and  mourn. 

He  never  fley'd  us  frae  nor  fun. 
The  blucl4on  and  the  billet  gun — 
Ay  glakes  that  birl'd  in  the  wun. 

Did  Davie  make  ; 
By  him  too  dragons  ne'er  the  sun. 

Their  tails  did  shake. 

And  was  there  ever  ere  his  like. 
At  bigging  o*  a  Strang  Stanedyke^ 
He  was  na  fractious,  dip  na  fyke. 

For  meikle  doon  ; 
He  sought  for  through-ban's  that  wad  rike^ 

And  capes  wad  croon. 

His  dykes  had  ne'er  the  sleek 'd  skin, 
Ne'er  fair  without  and  fause  within. 
He  didna  batter ^  line^  and  /m, 

To  please  the  e'e  ; 
There  ne'er  was  heard  a  clanking  din, 

Whar  bigged  he. 

A  rickl'd  rood  ne'er  left  his  han', 
His  dykes  for  centries  will  stan' 
A  slap  wi'  clutter's  never  fa'en, 

In  ane  o*  em  pet ; 
May  they  the  name  o'  he  puir  man. 

For  ages  get. 

Ower  moor  and  dale  for  mony  a  year, 
May  Davie's  famous  dykes  ap))ear, 
Ne  er  bilged  out  wi'  wather-wear, 

But  just  the  same  ; 
As  when,  puir  cheel,  he  left  them  there — 

To  bear  his  name. 

Nae  wadder  fleet  can  ower  them  jump. 
If  e're  they  try't  back  on  their  rump, 
They  will  recoil  wi'  whulting  bump. 

E'en  Rigling  RaUions  ; 
Wi'  rattling  doddles  arset  stump, 

Our  down  gae  brail ion:>. 


192  DYK  DYK 

Had  he  been  wi'  the  chaps  lang  syne, 
\Mia  wad  the  ancient  Scots  confine, 
(The  Romans  war  they  if  we  min') 

\Vi*  meikle  dyke ; 
Brave  Grahm  wad  been  waur  to  baud  in, 

The  norlan  tyke. 

Auld  Agricola  had  na  ane, 

In  a'  his  core  cud  bed  a  stane. 

Let  learned  historians  write,  and  gnme 

Out  what  they  like  ; 
Wi'  our  puir  Davie  they  had  nane. 

Cud  big  a  dyke. 

The  thing  is  queer  to  think  o*t  yet, 
For  a'  the  fowk  the  Romans  beat, 
Our  countrymen  they  ne*er  cud  get 

Squeezed  'neath  their  pride 
Our  Claymores  gaed  them  a'  the  pet, 

Sair  tools  to  bide. 

But  Davie,  what's  a'  this  to  thee, 
It  wunna  change  the  stem  decree, 
Whilk  sinners  us  we  sadly  see. 

For  ever  mair ; 
In  thy  cauld  den  thou  soon  will't  be. 

Our  hearts  are  sair. 

Wi*  you  nane  cud  the  Gellock  wield, 
The  yellest  craigs  for  you  boud  yeal'd, 
What  hoolochs  down  ye  clantering  reeled, 

At  ae  gude /fia'  ; 
And  junrells  till  the  echoes  peal  d, 

O*  munstrous  size. 

Wi'  jumper  too,  ye  whiles  wad  bore. 
And  make  the  rocks  wi'  powther  roar, 
Whilk  scar'd  the  pellocks  frae  the  shore 

Wi'  smacking  fin  ; 
What  Maukins  too  wad  scud  afore 

The  dundering  din. 

O'  war  we  rhymesters  sae  profite, 
As  epitaphs  on  thee  to  write. 
To  thee  the  muses  should  indite 

(Our  honest  Cronnie)  ; 
Ane  that  nae  saul  alive  cud  wyte, 

'Twad  be  sae  bonny. 

But  hoh-anee  we'er  a'  unfit. 
The  attempt  wad  only  be  a  skit. 
For  want  o'  pith  then,  we'll  submit — 

**  Na  faith  (cries  out, 
Ane  honest  muse)  come  hae  at  it, 

**WV11  do  ne'er  doubt." 


DYK  EEN 


193 


(( 


Our  dyker  Davie,  flesh  and  bane, 
**  Is  streeked  un'emeath  this  stane, 
**  But  sure  to  heaven  his  saul  is  gane, 

"  Gif  ony  gangs  ; 
**  The  rulers  there,  o'  never  ane, 

**  Deserving't  wrongs. '' 

Dykie — A  little  bird  of  the  chattering  species,  common  about 
old  Dykes ;  it  is  of  various  colours,  lays  five  small  white 
eggs,  and  is  not  unlike  a  cock  sparrow,  but  not  quite  so 
large. 


E. 


Eakin — Adding  to,  making  larger. 

Eak  o'  Woo* — A  kind  of  oil  that  is  on  wool  when  newly  shorn 
from  the  sheep. 

Easle — E^twards . 

Eazles — The  eves  of  houses. 

Ebbie — Ebenezer,  the  name. 

EcHO-STANE — A  black  hard  stone,  full  of  holes,  common  in 
meadows  and  bogs.  They  can  be  made  into  good  channle- 
stanes.  Their  cavities  make  them  of  a  sound-returning 
nature,  hence  the  name. 

Eddie — The  name  for  Edward. 

Eeked — Joined  to. 

Eenow — Even  now. 

E'enshanks — This  term  has  the  same  meaning  with  Ancmm  or 
Antrim,  which  see.  It  was  that  food  our  ancestors  took  about 
five  o'clock  in  the  evening,  now  designated  by  the  title  oi four- 
hours,  and  being  thus  taken  about  the  close  or  end,  or  shanks 
of  ^m,  or  evening,  the  name  Eenshanks  arose.  At  an  E en- 
shanks  neither  tea  nor  sugar  made  their  appearance;  no  Indian 
nor  Chinese  spicery  were  to  be  seen.  Magellan  had  then 
doubled  Cape  Horn,  nor  Gama,  its  brother.  Good  Hope. 


194  EER EIN 

Nothing  but  Scotia's  hard-fourC  food  graced  the  table  in  thes 
days.  The  poet  would  never  have  had  cause  to  spout  the 
following  verse  extempore,  upon  a  young  lady  who  took  no 
sugar  to  her  tea,  (as  is  the  way  with  many  a  delicate  Misi) 
gif  the  feast  d  Eenshanks  had  yet  existed — 

**  Afethinks,  my  dear,  you  scorn  the  sugar-bowl, 
**  Yes,  leave  t  to  those  who're  sour  and  tough  ; 


**  For  O  !  my  darling,  lovely  soul, 
**  Thou  art  already  swed  enough. 


it 


Eerie — Terror,  fear,  &c. ;  for  beings  of  a  supernatural  stamp 
many  are  afraid  to  walk  alone  under  night ;  these  are  of  an 
eerie  nature. 

Eetch — The  adze,  the  carpenter's  tool. 

Egged — Stirred  up. 

EiN — Even,  direct,  &c. 

EiNiNG  FowK — The  country  people  had  a  fashion  some 
time  ago  of  pairing  the  young  folks  about ;  that  is  to  say, 
if  a  young  man  had  taken  a  girl  to  be  his  partner  at  a 
dancing  school,  or  if  he  had  been  seen  speaking  to  one 
about  the  kirk-stile ^  or  any  other  popular  gatherings  these 
two  were  instantly  eind^  evened  to  one  another ;  and  when 
a  pair  became  thus  eind^  the  very  clash  of  the  parish  brought 
them  soon  to  be  cried.  So  this  eining  did  some  good  to  the 
cause  of  marriage.  Now,  however,  people  are  got  more 
hard  V  the  mouthy  and  set  such  a  small  value  on  clashes  and 
sneers,  that  eitiirig  fowk  becomes  a  vain  trade.  Manners, 
somewhat  similar  to  these,  will  be  found  treated  upon  in  the 
article — Gaun  to  a  House,  For  sometime  past,  the  matrimonial 
market  has  been  far  from  being  brisk^  like  many  others,  so 
that  in  some  parishes  a  wedding  has  not  taken  place  in  a 
twallmotithy  which  is  the  space  of  a  year  in  time  : — 

What's  come  owre  the  lads,  lasses, 

Hae  they  ta'en  the  thraw, 
When  sac  few  o*  cm  marry,  lasses, 

Few  or  nane  ava  ? 


EIN  ELF  1 95 

Cupid,  waefu*  chcel,  lasses, 

His  dear  arrows  a', 
He  has  shot  awa,  lasses, 

Fairly  shot  awa. 

Bachelors  grow  grey,  lasses, 

Frosty  they  are  a', 
They  lae  ye  to  gro^Y  auld,  lasses, 

Rising  scories  twa. 

This  wark  will  never  do,  lasses, 

Never  do  ava, 
Nature,  ay,  respect  the  lasses, 

Gar  us  feel  thy  law. 

Again  fill  Cupid's  quiver. 

And  bid  him  shoot  awa. 
For  the  lasses,  never,  never, 

Maun  be  despised  ava. 

Elden — Firing. 

£lx>rich — An  eerie  sound.  The  shrieking  of  a  ghost,  any 
wild  supernatural  noise  that  creates  fear. 

Elf-arrow-heads — Triangular  pieces  of  sharp  flint-stone, 
which  our  forefathers  pointed  their  arrows  with.  They 
are  sometimes  found  in  Galloway,  as  they  are  all  over  Scot- 
land, and  being  of  stone,  not  of  steel,  are  found  as  per- 
fect as  when  used  in  war,  for  flint  rusts  not  They  are 
called  ^^  elf-arrow-heads,^^  because  it  was  long  thought 
they  were  the  workmanship  of  elves,  and  used  by  them 
when  shooting  children,  cows,  what  not.  They  were 
indeed  used  by  curious  elves,  as  in  the  25  th  verse  of 
Hardyknute — 

**The  kingo'  Norse,  he  socht  to  find 

**  With  him  to  mense  the  faucht, 
**  But  on  his  forehead  there  did  licht 

"A  sharp  onsonsie  shaft. 
'*  As  he  is  his  hand  put  up  to  find 

**  The  wound,  an  arrow  kene, 
**  O  !  waefu'  chance  !  there  pinn'd  his  hand, 

**  In  midst  betwene  his  e'en." 

Elfgirse — A  kind  of  grass  yerbunves  find,  and  give  to  cattle 
they  conceive  injured  by  elves. 


f 


196  ELF ELF 

Ki.FRiNGS — On   old  pasture  land,  that  slopes  about  at  riglw/ 
angles  to  the  rays  of  the  Midsummer  sun,  circles,  of  all 
diameters,  from  three  to  thirty  feet,  are  to  be  seen  ;  and  these 
circles  are  beautifully  defined  by  a  kind  of  white  mushroom 
growing  thickly  all  round  the  circumference,  except  about  a 
foot  or  two  in  some ;   these  spaces,  unstudded  with  fungi, 
are  called  the  "  elfdoors"  the  openings  by  which  the  elves  go 
into  their  circle  or  ring  to  hold  the  lightsome  dance.     As 
superstition  crows  over  philosophy,  when  the  latter  is  not  able 
to  point  out  the  errors  of  the  former,  so  with  elfrings  she  has 
every  reason  almost  to  clap  her  wings,  for  no  sage  nor  naturalist 
hath  yet  shewn  the  cause  why  these  rings  are  formed.     For 
my  own  part,  I  have  marked  the  matter  with  all  the  attention 
I  am  capable  of  giving  any  thing,  and  yet  must  I  own  myself 
partly  overcome  with  it.     That  they  are  formed  by  the  solar 
rays,  I  doubt  not  a  moment ;  no  animal  on  the  earth  has  any 
thing  to  do  with  their  formation,  because,  on  places  where 
the  ground  is  not  of  the  same  declivous  nature,  these  rings 
deviate  from  the  true  circle,  and  the  unevener  the  slope, 
the   greater  the   variety   of  circled,   or  ellipses   of  various 
eccentricities;  and  where  the  rays  strike  at  about  a  right 
angle  to  the  plane,  there  they  are  of  equal  radii. 

But  here  comes  the  difficulty ;  if  the  figures  and  situations 
of  the  eif rings  prove  them  to  be  the  work  of  the  sun's  raj's, 
how  do  the  sun's  rays  produce  them?  Before  the  mush- 
rooms grow,  the  grass  of  the  ring  seems  as  if  it  had  been 
withered  by  a  scorching  heat ;  now,  this  must  either 
proceed  from  lightning,  or  from  the  sun ;  that  it  proceeds 
not  from  the  former  is  evident  by  the  form  of 'the  rings^ 
for  mathematically  it  can  be  shewn,  that  on  the  plane 
where  is  described  an  ellipse,  if  that  plane  had  been  of 
the  same  angle  with  that  on  which  is  described  a  circle,  that 
ellipse  would  have  been  a  circle  also,  which  seems  to  prove 
that  the  circles,  let  them  be  of  what  form  they  y^nW, 
have  all  one  grand  centre,  which  is  the  sun,  and  that  they 


ELF  ELF  197 

only  vary  because  their  planes  vary.  Lightning  could 
singe  out  nothing  of  such  regularity.  About  the  summer 
solstice,  the  rings  are  first  observed  singed,  and  in  August 
they  get  covered  with  mushrooms  :  this  is  a  natural  conse- 
quence, because  wherever  grass  is  singed  or  blasted,  there 
start  up  clusters  of  the  mushroom  tribe. 

I  have  heard  of  coup-de-soleils  or  sun-blows  of  the 
tropical  climates,  and  of  people  who  have  suffered  by 
such  blows  ;  but  I  have  never  seen  the  account  of  any  one 
respecting  how  the  sun  inflicts  them,  and  am  inclined 
to  think  that  the  way  in  which  he  does  the  one,  he  also  does 
the  other.  Were  there  for  instance  a  ray  of  the  Midsum- 
mer s  sun  confined  in  a  tube,  and  the  motion  of  this  ray 
marked,  on  the  hillside,  from  his  rising  until  his  going  down, 
I  am  almost  sure  that  we  would  behold  the  manner  in  which 
the  grass  is  scorched  and  the  circles  struck  out.  But  I 
leave  the  matter  until  future  observations  can  be  made. 
As  for  the  elves  having  anything  to  do  with  them,  is  at  least 
rustic  nonsense ;  let  the  superstitious  hold  it  out  so  or  not. 
For, 

Like  the  mermaid  and  uniconi, 

TalkM  oftencr  about  than  seen, 
Are  warlocks  and  worricows, 

And  elves  upon  the  green. 

They  all  are  cattle  that 

Do  feed  u|X)n  the  Fancy's  farm, 
And  they  love  those  fancy  pastures  best 

That  are  fertile  and  warm. 

The  poet's  mnut  they  truly  are, 

And  if  he  keeps  them  fu'  and  hale, 
When  he  brings  them  forth  to  market 

ile  will  meet  with  a  sale. 

Hut  if  they  are  not  fat  and  good 

His  sale  will  be  but  small. 
The  critic  butchers  sneer  at  him, 

They  will  not  sell  at  all. 

For  their  beef,  when  lean  is  bad. 

It  will  not  take  the  salt  and  keep, 
And  it  plays  the  curse  with  honest  folks, 

And  makes  them  fall  asleep. 


198  ELF ELL 

Elfshot — a  disorder  with  cows. 

Ellwan*  o'    Starrs — Those  three  bright  stars  of  the  first 
magnitude,  or  at  least  of  the  second,  in  the  northern  con- 
stellation Lyra,  the  harp,  I  believe,  if  memory  can  be  de- 
pended on.      These  stars  are  among  the  most  obvious  to 
naked  eyes  of  any  that  bestud  the  welkin.     Them,  and  the 
"  Cluster,"  as  the   country  people  call  the  constellation  of 
Orion,   the  Hunter,  and  ^^ Petet's  Pieuch,^  otherwise  Ursa 
Major,  or  the  Big  Bear,   strike  at  once  the  most  rustic  of 
astronomers,  and  have  struck  them  more  than  the  rest  in  all 
ages.    In  the   ancient  poetic  book^iof   Job  a  verse  says 
"  Cans't  thou  bind  the  sweet  influences  of  the  Pleiades,  or 
loose  the  bands  of  Orion  ?  " 

Now,  what  are  the  Pleiades,  but  those  seven  bright  stars 
in  the  constellation  of  the  Big  Bear  above  mentioned,  called, 
some  time  ago,  Charly  WcUn^  but  more  anciently,  Peter^i 
Pleuchy  and"Orion,  the  Cluster? 

These  stars  then  which  draw  the  attention  of  men  in  all 
ages  deserve  particular  consideration,  and  none  more  so  in 
my  opinion,  than  these  three  called  by  the  Scotch  the 
''^ E/iwandf^  from  their  seeming  to  the  eye  to  be  about 
equally  distant  from  other,  and  in  a  straight  line.  Who 
knows  yet  but  this  ellwand  may  indeed  be  used  as  an  ell- 
wand for  measuring  all  over  the  earth.  It  is  long  now 
since  an  universal  standard  for  measuring  has  been  called 
for  by  the  philosophic  world,  and  none  to  give  satisfaction 
hath  yet  been  produced.  The  earth  has  been  actually 
measured  with  a  chain,  I  may  say,  from  Pole  to  Pole,  for 
this  purpose  chiefly;  and  the  great  complaint  always  is, 
the  changeableness  of  the  works  of  nature,  The  earth 
alters  of  itself;  the  Poles  flatten  away,  the  Equator  keeps 
swelling  out,  the  large  luminaries  of  heaven  are  always 
altering  in  size  and  situation  with  respect  to  the  earth,  and 
nothing  but  the  stars  in  any  propriety  can  be  said  to  be 
fixed. 


ELL ENL  199 

From  them,  then,  let  a  standard  for  measuring  be  taken, 
one  which  will  not  alter,  and  one  whose  original  may  be 
easily  referred  to  by  all  nations.  And  what  shall  we 
better  get  than  the  "  Ellwand  0'  Starrs^*"  a  measurement 
held  out  to  us  by  nature  as  it  were.  Let  the  apparent 
length  of  this  ellwand  be  taken,  either  by  beads  on  a  line, 
or  holes  in  a  flat  slip  of  wood,  and  so  we  may  form  an 
universal  elhvand.  The  natives  of  Iceland,  Timbuctoo, 
Pekin,  Washington,  and  London ;  yes,  the  great  body  of 
the  inhabitants  of  the  earth,  be  their  situations  on  it  where 
they  will,  will  understand  by  this  at  once  the  foundation 
of  the  measure,  for  the  constellation  in  which  is  the 
^*' ellwand'^  being  Orion's  Girdle  (nigh  the  range  of  the 
ecliptic),  it  may  be  seen  every  uncloudy  night  by  mostly 
all  men  on  the  globe. 

Emmers — Embers. 

Enlang — Endlong.  I  have  heard  country  people  frequently 
discussing  about  the  propriety  of  these  sayings ;  the  first  is, 
"  /  came  owre  the  brigP  This  is  wrong  they  argue,  it  should 
be,  I  came  enlang  the  brig^  the  other  meaning  as  much 
that  I  went  over  the  side  of  it  or  ledge^  and  into  the 
river.  Now,  both  expressions  are  perfectly  right  I 
came  over  the  bridge,  and  I  came  endlong  the  bridge 
are  one  and  the  same  thing;  for  why  not  as  well  come 
over  the  bridge  as  the  road  comes,  as  go  <n^er  its  side. 
Secondly,  "It  is  not  right  to  say  we  are  going  up  when 
we  are  going  south;  we  should  always  say  down  to  the 
souths  and  up  to  the  north J^ 

Now  it  is  not  proper  nor  right  to  say  whether  we  are 
either  going  up  or  down  when  going  either  south  or  north- 
ward. There  is  no  occasion  to  add  either  the  one  or  the 
other.  Up  and  down  refers  to  high  and  low;  and  the 
south  is  just  as  high  as  the  north. 


200  EPP  EVE 

Eppie — The  female  name   Euphemia,     Who   ever  heard  r>ip 
old  witch,  Eppie  Foggiehorn,  sing 

O !  my  love  was  a  fairy, 

And  could  dance  round  the  moon. 
My  path,  too,  was  airy. 

In  the  welkin  aboon  : 
But  a  damn'd  worricow 
Cam  between  us  somehow, 
And  hath  sinner'd  us  now. 

The  auld  grim  badger  loon. 

Sae  nae  mair  on  the  carry 

We  will  ride  now  away, 
And  in  regions  sae  starry 

We  will  never  mair  stray  ; 
For  we're  baith  in  the  dark, 

0  !  Hell  is  our  mark. 
And  auld  Nick  is  our  Clark, 

He  tells  us  what  to  say. 

llien  the  sea  it  may  ebb. 
And  the  sun  it  may  shine, 

1  hate  whan  my  neb 

Smells  on  earth  aught  divine. 
Arise  thou  black  blast, 
Obey  every  cast. 
Let  the  warl  stand  aghast, 

And  the  tempest  be  mine. 

Now  the  deep  is  in  foam, 

Now  the  sky  it  is  black. 
Now  the  wild  waters  roam. 

And  the  waves  ither  smack. 
Fling  the  yirth  af  her  whirl, 
O  I  strike  her  a  skirl. 
That  nae  mair  she  may  birl 

On  her  auld  batter'd  track. 

Even  Downpour — A  shower  of  rain  which  falls  almost 
perpendicular  from  the  clouds.  These  showers  are  frequent: 
in  sultry  weather ;  and,  when  the  air  is  charged  with  elec^ 
tricity,  they  are  something  akin  to  the  water-spout. 


FAD FAI  201 


F. 


"a — Fall ;  also  to  become. 

"ad DOM — Fathom,  plumb,  &c. 

'"ae — From  ;  also  foe. 

•'aedum — Witchcraft 

"aem — Foam.  In  stormy  weather,  the  foam  which  gathers  on 
the  margin  of  the  sea  is  often  lifted  by  the  wind  and  carried 
miles  into  the  country. 

:^AGGED  — Fatigued. 

i^AGGENS — The  weary  ends  of  anything. 

n^AiGHLOCHS  or  Faishochs— Sony  working  labourers ;  alwa  y 
seeming  busy,  yet  putting  little  work  past  them. 

Fair-Farrand — Open,  free,  inclined  to  flattery. 

Fairies — ^These  beings  are  yet  often  to  be  seen  and  heard  of 
in  the  South  of  Scotland.  One  came  to  z.gudewife  once,  and 
wished  her  to  give  an  ^^aiamons"  of  meal.  The  mistress 
complained  she  had  little  meal  in  the  house.  "  Gie  ay, 
(quoth  the  fairie)  a  part  o*  what  ye  hae  to  a  poor  body,  and 
ye'll  never  lose."  The  wife  obeyed  her,  and,  continued  the 
fairy,  "  sae  lang  as  ye  never  look  in  the  girnel  ye  shall  ay 
bring  plenty  o^  meal  out  o'  it  wi'  your  hand."  She  did  so  for 
some  time,  but  one  day  feeling  a  curiosity  to  behold  the  ex- 
haustless  store,  she  looked  in,  and  there  was  an  empty  ^r/ie/; 
so  ever  afterwards  she  had  to  fill  it  herself. 

Another  time  a  man  met  on  an  evening  a  funeral.  The 
people  with  it  seemed  fatigued,  and  desired  the  honest 
man  "  fo  tak  a  lift  d  the  corpse:'  "  I'll  do  that  (quoth  he)  in 
^ude's  namcy'  which  he  had  no  sooner  said  than  they  all 
disappeared,  leaving  him  with  an  empty  coffin.  The  man 
died  soon  after.     This  was  a  Fair\  FiineraL 


202  FAI  FEG 

Fairins — Presents  given  at  fairs. 

Fairntickles — Freckly  spots  on  the  skin. 

Fallderalloes — Foolish  unneedful  things. 

Fankle — When  cloth  is  in  unrid  folds,  it  is  said  to  be  in  a 
fanklc. 

Fanners — Machines  for  winnowing  com. 

Fanked — Warped  in  cloth. 

Farkage — A  bundle  of  cordage,  so  confusedly  warped,  that 
there  is  no  ridding  it  out ;  or  a  bundle  of  various  things  in 
a  similar  state. 

Farkle — This  word,  and  the  one  above,  are  one  and  the 

same ;  none  of  them,  be  it  known,  are  what  the  Latins  called 
"  verba  recens  jicta^^  new  coined  words,  though  I  am  not  able 
to  ferret  out  their  proper  derivations. 

Farle  o*  Bread — A  cake  of  bread  of  oatmeal,  bent  with 
toasting. 

Faugh-blue — Bleached  blue. 

Faugh-lan — Fallow  land. 

Faul  about  the  moon — Fold  about  the  moon. 

Feckless — Weak  in  both  body  and  mind. 

Feeding  o'  frost — A  slight  thaw,  amid  frosty  weather ;  after 
thaws  of  this  kind,  the  frost  commonly  becomes  more  severe 
than  ever;  hence  they  are  said  X.o feed ^t. frost 

Feerie — Fearless,  strong ;  a  fearie  auld  man,  a  hale  old  man, 
considering  his  age ;  strong  amid  the  years  of  infirmity ;  a 
fearie  wight,  a  being  that  can  endure  much  trouble  : 

**  Wallace  Wight,  upon  a  night, 
**  Did  burn  the  bams  o'  Ayr, 
**  And  claw'd  the  croons  o'  southern  loons, 
**  Whilk  they  mind  ever  mair." — 

Auld  sang. 

Feggs--  P'aith.     Upon  vay/eggs,  upon  my  faith. 


FEI  FIN  ao3 

Feigh — An  exclamation  of  disgust 

Fell — The  broad  muscles  of  the  body;  it  is  between  the 
"/r//  and  tJu  flesh^^  say  country  doctors,  that  water  in  the 
"  dropsy  "  gathers. 

Fell — Strong,  hardy,  perhaps  from  having  good  muscles. 

Fell — Biting  hard ;  also,  a  wild  rocky  range. 

Fell  o'  Barullion — A  lofty  fell^  or  range  of  high  hills  in 
Wigtonshire,  famous  merely  for  the  name ;  where  find  we 
a  stranger  name  for  a  mountain  than  Barullion  1  Barool^ 
the  chief  mount  in  the  Isle  of  Man,  is  somewhat  like 
it,  but  not  so  sounding;  and  as  for  Etna^  Hcckla^  or 
mount  Blanc,  they  have  nothing  to  say  to  it  on  this 
score ;  even  Chimborazo,  the  loftiest  in  the  world,  has  not  a 
more  lofty  name. 

Fend — A  way  of  living  on  the  border  of  want,  but  not  in 
absolute  want  either. 

Fewls — Fowls,  if  large. 

Fib — A  lie,  an  untruth. 

Fillie-tails — Little  ragged  clouds,  something  resembling 
imcut  horse-tails,  hence  the  name,  they  forbode  windy 
weather : 

•*  When  frae  the  south  whusk  filly-tails, 
**  Than  high  ships  wear  low  sails." — 

Auld  say, 

FiMMERiNG—  Moving  the  feet  swiftly,   either  in  dancing  or  • 
walking ;  yet  moving  them  at  the  same  time  with  a  singular 
grace  of  person. 

Finn  IE — A  feel  with  the  hand,  or  ratherly  a  feel  which  returns 
with  good  tidings  to  the  senses ;  persons  purchasing  grain, 
generally  estimate  the  price  of  it,  by  its  finnie,  or  the  way  in 
which  it  feels : 

**  A  wat  Mav  and  a  winnie, 

**  Bring  a  fu  stack-yard  and  a  finnie." — 

Auld  say. 


204  FIP FLA 

The  meaning  of  which  is,  that  a  wet  and  windy  May  month, 
is  such  weather  that  makes  crops  grow  good ;  so  that  they 
fill  the  stack-yard,  and  the  grain  feels  weel. 
FiPPLE — The  underlip ;  when  dull  about  any  thing,  we  are  said 
to  "  king  the  lip;''  and  when  those  around  us  wish  us  roused, 
they  say  we  would  answer  well  for  eating  Peelock  potatoes ; 
for  why  ?  we  might  be  cooling  one  in  o\3X  fipple^  while  eating 
another. 

Fired — Milk  is  said  to  be  so  when  it  gets  ill  tasted,  in  sultry 
weather ;  also,  any  part  of  our  skin,  injured  by  walking  in 
warm  weather,  is  said  to  be  "yf/r^." 

FiRE-FLAUCHT — A  broad  body  of  fiery  meteoric  matter,  fre- 
quently seen  flashing  through  the  regions  of  the  atmosphere ; 
the  common  name  is  a  fire-flaticht^  but  sometimes  a  firey 
dragon  ;  and  some  say  "  they  have  heard  them  fa'  in  the  sea 
aften,  and  gae  fizzing  to  death,"  which  is  reckoned  a  great 
kindness  of  Providence  ;  for  had  they  lighted  on  the  land, 
"  The  Lord  be  near  us,  it  is  thought  they  wad  hae  cramped 
the  folk  up  rump  and  stump,  wi'  tusks  o*  red  gaud  aim." 

FiRESPANG — A  quick  tempered  person. 

FissLE — To  make  a  rusthng  noise. 

FiTSTEDS — Marks  of  the  feet 

FiiTiE — Having  good  feet,  safe  enough  to  walk  with  ;  also  an 
imaginary  personage,  of  an  extremely  useless  nature, 
with  which  we  compare  real  persons,  as  "  ye^re  as  useless 
as  fittie^'  or  ye   can  do   a   certain  job,    "  nae   mair   than 

fittur 

Fitting-peats — The  art  of  setting  peats  on  end  to  dry. 
Fizzing — Hissing,  the  noise  red  iron  makes  when  flung   in 

water,  or  ale  in  bottles  when  uncorked. 
FizzioNLESS — Sapless,  without  pith. 
Fladge — A  broad-bottomed   person,   any  thing   broad;    the 

same  with  bladge. 


FLA FLE  205 

Flaff — A  puff  of  wind,  raised  with  one's  hand,  or  a  fan. 

Flaiper — A  foolish  person,  both  in  dress  and  manner ;  more 
particularly  if  this  manner  aims  at  something  out  of  that 
person's  sphere  of  action. 

Flaipering — Flashing  about  in  foolish  clothes. 

Flakes — Parts  of  fences  which  cross  barns;  they  are  a  kind 
of  gate  hanging  the  wrong  way. 

Flapdawdron — A  tall  ill-clad  person,  viz.  clad  in  clothes  not 
befitting  the  body. 

Flaucht — Anything  broad. 

Flauchters — Broad  tufts. 

Flauchter-spade — A  spade  for  fleying  land. 

Flauming — Flaming,  exerting,  &c. 

Flaws — The  points  of  those  nails  which  hold  shoes  on  horse- 
hoofs  ]  the  smith  twists  them  off  when  they  get  through  the 
hoof. 

Flecked — Pied,  black  and  white. 

Fleeing-buss — A  rapid  burning  fire  is  said  to  go  like  a 
fleeing  duss,  or  a  whin-huss  on  fire ;  for  when  one  of  these 
bushes  is  set  fire  to  in  a  windy  day,  we  think  by  looking  at, 
that  the  blaze  is,  as  it  were,  taking  the  bush  with  it,  before 
really  it  has  it  consumed ;  hence  fleeing-buss^  or  fleeing, 
flaming-buss.  The  cause  of  this  optical  delusion  is,  that  by 
looking  at  a  rapid  burning  fire,  our  eyes  dazzle  ;  they  mount 
with  the  flame,  as  it  were,  and  take  with  them  the  what  feeds 
it  also — it  is  just  refraction  ;  we  see  the  sun,  after  he  is  in 
truth  set. 

Fleetch — To  insist  and  whine ;  to  entreat  kindly. 
Fleeter — A  full.     A  bumper. 

Fleg — A  swinging  blow  ;  also,  to  walk  with  a  swinging  step. 
Fleggin — Walking  fast. 


2o6  FLE  FLI 

Fleuchino — Anything  very  light ;  to  what  it  seems,  more  in 
bulk  than  weight,  the  light  chaff  or  floTvingy  is  sometimes 
i^Tva^di  flenching,  but  more  conmionly  light  grain. 

Fleuks — Flounder  fish.  Boys,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  sandy 
shores,  have  great  work  tramping  fleuks ,  which  is  accom- 
plished by  wading  softly  on  the  sand  banks  ;  and  when  the 
feet  tramp  on  the  backs  of  the  fish,  they  are  held,  until  the 
hands  dive  and  grapple  them  more  secure. 

Fleups — Broad  feet 

Flichan — A  light  person,  and  small. 

Flitchers — Light  flying  flakes,  such  as  of  snow;  when  the 
snow,  at  the  first  of  a  storm,  is  like  fine  dust,  as  it 
comes  from  the  air,  it  is  a  sure  sign  that  the  storm  is 
going  to  be  one  of  long  continuance,  but  if  the  flitchers 
be  broad,  it  will  upple  sooner.  It  is  the  same  way  with 
the  drops  of  rain.  Rain  never  falls  in  large  drops  long, 
and  never  falls  in  large  drops  at  all,  unless  there  is  much 
heat  in  the  atmosphere.  For  warm  water  runs  through 
a  sieve  much  sooner  than  cold ;  from  this  we  may  infer 
the  cause  of  the  severe  snow  storm,  when  it  begins  to 
fall  like  dust,  or  what  is  called  "  snastowre : "  for  then  a 
most  intense  cold  prevails,  caused  by  a  frosty  air,  and  dense 
clouds. 

Flim — Film.  Matter  of  a  mucous  nature,  which  gathers  in 
the  throat  Tipplers  say,  "  that  a  dram  o*  strong  farintosh 
in  the  morning,  cuts  the  flimP — See  more  of  this  under 
"  Floomr 

Fling — To  drive  with  the  feet  in  walking. 

Flingbag — A  bag  or  wallet  for  the  shoulder. 

Flingstick — A  rowly-powly  man. 

Flipe — To  peel ;  to  flipe  the  skin  off"  any  part  of  the  body,  is 
to  peel  or  strip  it  oil 


FLI   FLU  ao7 

Flirds — People  of  a  vain,  silly,  dressy  disposition. 

Flisk — To  fret,  to  flaunt,  to  whisk  the  tail,  &c.,  as  an  ill- 
natured  horse  docs. 

Flitting — Removing  from  one  place  to  another;  also  the 
things  removed.      "As  ane  flits,   anither  sits,"   is  an  old 

Floam — The  same  Flint*  I  am  rather  at  a  loss  to  know 
whether  this  word  is  a  corruj)tion  of  Flinty  thin  pellicle,  or 
phlegm  humours  of  the  stomach,  probably  the  latter. 

Flochter — A  person  looking  extremely  big,  and  wishing 
all  eyes  to  observe. 

Floggan — Walking  fast. 

Flonkies — Waiting  men,  lackeys ;  I  wonder  gentlemen  keep 
so  many  of  these  creatures  about  them  ;  for,  instead  of 
adding  anything  to  their  dignity  as  noblemen,  they  detract 
from  it. 

Flory — A  very  dressy  person. 

Flowpeats — Peats  of  a  soffc  nature,  cut  out  of  flows. 

Flows — Large  soft  marshes,  of  a  spongy  nature,  haunts  of 
snipes ;  and  it  is  fine  fun  to  wade  in  them,  and  shoot  at 
these  nimble  birds  on  the  wing  ;  to  catch  young  wild  ducks 
too,  in  them,  is  a  favourite  job  with  sportsmen  when  they 
have  good  water  dogs. 

Flugaries — Nonsensical  j)ieces  of  dress,  furniture,  or  any 
unneedful  article  of  a  foolish  appearance ;  a  person  fond 
of  such  is  called  a  flugarie :  also  one  mad  in  love  is  said  to 
be  in  a  flagarie ;  the  words  mean  the  same,  for  be  it 
known  they  are  burning  for  a  mean  person,  or  one  quite 
out  of  their  station ;  perhaps  this  word,  and  the  Latin 
flagro^  "  to  bum  with  love,"  may  be  of  a  kin. 

FlUxMRIe — See  Smvens, 


2o8  FLU  FOR 

Flush — A  wet  soft  piece  of  land;  also,  to  be  too  liberal  in 
flinging  away  money. 

Fluster — A  person  is  said  to  be  in  a  ^^ fluster ^^  when  seeming 
more  drowTied  in  business  than  needful,  and  driving  all  to 
destruction. 

Fluther — To  flutter  in  dust,  as  chickens  and  partridges  do. 

Flyam — Those  large  tangle  sea-weeds,  which  grow  round 
shores ;  yet  the  tide  seldom  ebbs  from  around  them. — 
There  are  few  finer  scenes  than  those  seen  out  of  a  boat, 
on  a  calm  sunny  summer  day ;  down  amongst  these  tangle 
one  is  most  forcibly  struck  with  the  abode  of  nymphs 
of  the  sea ;  the  tangle  waving  so  beautifully  beneath  the 
translucent  fluid,  and  sweetly  gleaming  in  the  darkened  sun 
beams. 

FoARDSDAY — Thursday. 

Fogg  IN  Ewes. — Old  ewes,  past  the  days  of  lamb-bearing. 

FoRE-NiCHTS — The  fore  part  of  the  winter  nights  ;  in  summer 
there  are  no  fore-nichts.  They  are  the  spaces  of  time 
between  gloaming  and  going  to  bed ;  spaces  taken  off 
the  long  nights,  and  added  to  the  short  days,  as  it  were. 
But  of  all  the  hours  which  wing  their  way  over  a  pea- 
sant's head,  none  are  so  dear  to  him  as  those  of  the  fore- 
nichts.  For  if  he  has  a  wife  and  family,  then  he  may  be 
said  to  enjoy  them  and  be  happy.  If  he  be  a  bachelor  of 
social  disposition,  then  he  is  out  at  parties  amongst  his 
neebours,  or  some  of  them  are  with  him  ;  and  if  he  be 
of  a  studious  habit,  then  he  may  read  books,  enjoy  him- 
self with  feasting  on  literature,  and  pondering  the  abstruse 
sciences. 

Many  a  famous  self-taught  scholar  the  fore-nights  have 
made  in  Scotland ;  many  a  notable  tale  and  song  they 
have  produced  ;  they  are  the  delights  of  all  classes  of 
kintra  folks,   to   none   more  so  than  lovers,  and  the   rare 


FOR  FOW  209 

sons  of  rustic  genius ;  these  latter  revel  in  extacy  during  this 
season. 

IVunnoingf  otherwise  cleaning  com;  knitting  stockings, 
muffeteesy  and  loofies,  cobbling  shoon^  and  what  not,  may 
somewhat  run  contrary  to  the  employments  of  pleasure  ; 
yet,  still  the  joy  of  joys  is  to  be  found  in  the  lang  7vunter 
forenichts, — Dear  to  my  soul  is  the  country ;  long  was  I  a 
Ruricola, 

O  !  but  I  love  the  country  well, 

But  true  I  love  its  labours  ill, 
Sweet  'tis  in  rural  world  to  dwell, 

But  sour  to  mow,  and  shear,  and  till. 

And  this  proceeds  all  from  the  heart, 
For  some  delight  to  sweat  and  toil. 

Dear  nature  scorn — and  relish  art. 
Poor  greedy  grub  worms  of  the  soil. 

They  never  hear  the  burdies  sing, 
They  never  feel  the  evening  breeze. 

In  vain  for  them  primroses  spring, 
Or  leaf  in  majesty  the  trees. 

Give  them  the  what  their  kytes  will  cram. 
Or  lumps  of  ore  to  fill  the  purse — 

They  want  no  more,  all  else  they  damn. 
What  I  consider  joy,  they  curse. 

But  let  ilk  man  pursue  his  plan, 

Let  all  have  liberty  of  soul. 
Let  every  man  stand  by  his  clan, 

And  slavery  have  no  control. 

FoRFOCHTEN — Sorely  fatigued. 

FoRGETTLE — Having  a  bad  memory. 

FoRNENT — Over  against,  right  before.     A  female  which  dances 
right  before  her  partner. 

Fou — Intoxicated  with  spirits ;  also,  a  full  of  anything. 

Foumart — ^The  polecat ;  anciently /ou/mart^  from  its  horrible 
smell ;  marf,  from  its  being  of  the  species  of  martin. 

Fourpartdish — An  old  measure,  the  fourth  of  a  peck. 

Fows — The  house-leek,  said  to  cure  the  dropsy. 

o 


2IO  FOW  FRE 

Fows — Prongs.     Forks  for  hay. 

FoY — A  parting  feast ;  the  same  ^^nth  Bonncllo, 

FozziE — Not  solid,  porous,  &c. 

Fractious — Fretful. 

Free — Anything  brittle,  such  as  free-stone. 

Freets — Superstitious  observances,  with  respect  to  omens  good 
or  bad,  more  commonly  bad  ;  the  greater  part  of  which  now- 
a-days,  though  they  be  observed,  are  not  paid  great  attention 
to  ;  yet,  on  the  whole,  they  are  ratherly  respected.     A  aip  o 
saut  is  yet  to  be  put  on  a  corpse,  from  the  time  it  is  straughtid 
until  it  be  coffined;  also  the  dead  are  waked  with  great 
solemnity.     The  shoes  are  yet  twisted  of  the  hoofs  of  mares 
before  they  bring  forth  their  young,  and  they  are  by  no  means 
allowed   to  foal  in   stables.     An   horse-shoe  is   put   thrice 
through  beneath  the  belly,  and  over  the  back  of  a  cow  that 
is  considered  clfshot.     Ei/girse  is  given  to  this  cow  ;  a  burn- 
ing pf  at  is  laid  down  on  the  threshold  of  the  byre  door  ;  she 
is  set  free  from  her  stake,  and   driven   out ;    if  she  walks 
quietly  over  the  peat,  she  remains  uncured  ;  but  if  she  first 
smells,  then  lets  a  spang  over  it  with  a  biilyj  she  is  then 
shaned^   cured.     If  at   the   funeral   one  at   the   handspahes 
misses  his  foot,  and  falls  beneath  the  bier,  he  will  soon  be 
in  a  coffin  himself.     If  we  are  on  the  way  to  rid  an  errand^ 
yet  forget  something,  we  will  have  no  luck  that  day.     A 
hare,    to   cross   our  path,  is   a  bad  omen.     If  a  knife  be 
found    lying   open   on   the   road,    few  will   dare  to   lift   it 
Even  a  preen,  if  the  broadside  is  not   found   lying   towards 
the  face,  will  not  be  touched.     A  broom  or  co70  is  thrown 
after    curlers,    when   they   leave   a  house  ;    this  is  shaning 
them  good  luck :   and  the  blue  dead  lights,   which    appear 
before  a  death,  what  omens  are  they ;  these  lights  are  seen 
in  the  air,  about  the  height  a  corpse  is  carried,  and  bobbing 
up  and  down,  the  undulating  motion   of   corpse   bearers  ; 
they  are  seen  to  leave   the   house  where  the  person  is  to 


FRE  FRE  211 

die,  and  go  to  the  grave  where  the  interment  will  take 
place ;  to  kep  these  lights  is  not  right  conduct ;  a  man  did 
so  once,  when  the  corpse  came  to  that  place  on  its  journey 
to  the  grave,  there  a  fear  came  over  the  burial  folks,  they 
could  not  move  farther,  until  the  man  told  the  tale  of  the 
dead  light ;  three  things  are  ay  sonsy\  but  why  need  I  note 
so  ?  I  could  tell  more  than  a  hundred,  without  being  any 
way  exhausted ;  let  these  be  a  swatch^  however.  I  shall  still 
continue  saying  a  little  more  on  the  subject  with  respect  to 
those  freets^  which  come  from  one  generation  to  another,  in 
the  shape  of  little  rhymes  : 

**  Sit  and  see  the  swallow  flee, 

**  Gang  and  hear  the  gowk  yell, 
"  See  the  foal  afore  its  minnie  s  e'e, 

"  And  luck  that  year  will  fa'  thysell." 

Which  means,  when  we  are  sitting,  the  first  time  we  see  the 
swallow  flying ;  walking,  when  we  first  hear  the  cuckoo ;  and 
the  first  foal  we  meet  with,  if  it  be  before  the  eyes  of  its 
mother^  that  will  be  a  fortunate  year.  The  great  anxiety 
young  women  are  in  to  know  any  thing  about  the  husbands 
they  are  to  have,  gives  rise  to  numberless /r^<f/j/  one  of  these 
is,  when  the  new  moon  is  first  beheld,  they  sally  out  to  the 
green  braes  in  bevies,  and  there  each  pull  a  handful  of  grass, 
saying,  at  the  same  time, 

**  New  moon,  true  moon,  tell  me  if  you  can, 

*•  Gif  I  hae  here  a  hair  like  the  hair  o*  my  gude  man." 

Viz.  Among  the  gixiss  pulled,  which  is  carefully  searched, 
and  if  a  hair  be  found  among  it,  which  is  generally  the  case, 
the  colour  of  that  hair  determines  the  hue  of  the  expected 
gude  man^s. 

The  three  first  days  of  April  are  called  borrowing  days^  and 
Utitfreets  of  them  nm  so — 

**  March  borrows  frae  April 

**  Three  days,  and  they  are  ill  ; 

**  The  first  o'  them  is  wun  and  weet, 

**  The  second  it  is  snaw  and  sleet, 

**  The  third  o'  them's  a  peel-a-bane, 

**  And  freezes  the  wee  burds  neb  tae  stane." 


212  FRE FRE 

Magpies  cause  other  curious  freds^  according  to  the  number 
of  them  seen  at  any  one  time  together. 

**  Arte' 5  sorrow — Twc^s  mirth, 
**  Three^s  a  burial — Four^s  a  birth, 
**  Fh'is  a  wedding — Six  brings  szaith, 
• « SevaCs  ixVizx—AuMs  death. " 

A  mist  about  the  last  days  of  the  moon's  age,  brings  with  it 

2i.freeL 

*'  An  auld  moon  mist, 
**  Never  dees  o' thrist." 

It  is  said  of  February — 

**  That  February  fills  the  dyke, 
"  Either  wi'  the  black  or  white." 

And  of  Candlemas  day — 

"  Gif  Cannelmas  day  be  fair  and  clear, 
**  We'll  hae  twa  wunters  in  that  year." 

And  '''Gin  the  Laverock  sings  afore  Cannelmas,  she'll  moura 
as  lang  after" t." — I  conclude  with  the  following  bunch  of 
freets : — 

**  Grumphie  smells  the  weather, 

"  And  Grumphie  sees  the  wun, 

**  He  kens  whan  cluds  will  gather, 

'*  And  smoor  the  blinking  sun  ; 

•*  Wi'  his  mouth  fiC  o'  strae, 

**  He  to  his  den  will  gae  ; 

**  Grumphie  is  a  prophet,  wat  weather  we  will  hae." 

•*  Whan  we  steer  the  greeshoch, 
**  Gif  the  lowe  be  blue, 
**  Storms  o'  vfyxn  and  weather, 
**  Will  very  soon  ensue." 

**  Whan  flares  o'  Easlin  light, 

**  As  the  sun  starts  frae  his  bed, 

**  Makes  the  cluds  a  bluidy  sight, 

**  Changing  them  frae  blue  to  red, 

*'  Or  the  blazing  cheel  wuns  owre, 

*'  The  Keystane  o'  the  lift  ; 

"  The  weather  wet  will  pour, 

"  For  the  wun  it  will  shift, 

**  The  \fMXi  it  will  shift,  and  the  deep  it  will  swaul, 

"  The  faem  it  will  flee,  and  the  broyliment  will  brawL" 

French     Buiterflees  —  The    common    white    butterflies  . , 
the  Pontia  of  learned  insect  men,    I  believe,  and  of  the 


FRE  FRE  213 

class  Ltpidoptera;  when  war  raged  between  this  country 
and  France,  our  patriotic  youths  hunted  these  poor  but- 
terflies over  hill  and  dale,  armed  with  whun  cows^  and 
destroyed  as  many  of  them  as  they  possibly  could ;  having 
the  idea  that  they  really  were  from  France,  and  being  of 
the  colour  of  the  French  flag,  white,  decided  the  matter. 
The  red  butterfly  was  called  the  British  one,  the  Apatura 
of  naturalists ;  it  was  venerated ;  to  slay  one  of  them  was 
considered  a  horrid  crime. 

Frettie — Fretful.  Many  people  are  naturally  so,  and  keep 
their  circle  of  acquaintances  about  them  in  het  water.  Give 
them  the  whole  world,  they  would  not  be  half  contented ; 
the  following  is  a  rhymed  sketch  of  a 

FRETFUL  FARMER. 


We  hate  to  hear  a  body  whinning, 
For  ever  frettie  and  repining. 

Like  Robin  o'  the  risk  ; 
He  never  wears  a  joyfu'  e'e. 
Nor  taks  a  laugh  right  merrilee, 

The  blockhead  ne'er  looks  brisk. 
There's  something  wi'  him  ever  wrang, 
He's  yawping  ay  a  yammering  sang. 


Wi'  nature  he  is  ay  at  war, 
And  wi'  her  weather  he  dis  spar, 

For  never  half  she  pleases ; 
Altho*  his  crap  waved  rich  and  gude, 
Tho*  swaul'd  nis  nowt  wi'  beef  and  blude, 

Sweet  joy  his  heart  ne'er  eases. 
Nor  wadna  tho'  the  hale  yirth's  skin, 
Belang'd  to  him  baith  out  and  in. 


Wi'  a  big  rent  he  is  na  racket, 

His  lair  claps  on  him  nae  strait  jacket  y 

He  may  be  aySw  farmer; 
MaT^  plough  whare'er  he  will,  or  maw. 
And  he  has  bonnie  baimies  twa, 

Wi'  ane  wife  just  a  charmer. 
Nae  matter  still,  still  the  poor  saul's  yuming, 
And  ever  about  naithing  mourning. 


2  14  FRK  FUF 

Wcel  really  he  deserves  to  get, 
Ane  actual  something  for  to  fret, 

Sin  he  be  sae  dooms  keen  o*t ; 
We  wadna  wonner  but  or  lang, 
The  fool  maun  sing  anither  sang, 

And  kenna  what*s  the  mean  u*t. 
Like  yon  big  bairn  wha  whumper'd  ay  and  grat. 
Gat  frae  a'  WuUiewan  ance  what  it  ne'er  forgat. 

Than  will  his  com  look  weel  i*e  braird, 
His  scythes  row  owre  a  famous  swaird, 

And  no  a  silly  whittery  ; 
Nae  fleuchan  than  will  grow  his  wheat, 
His  pcclocks  will  be  sweet  to  eat. 

And  no  puir  scabbed  chittery. 
The  weather  then  won't  be  owre  wat  or  dry, 
But  pleasure  than  flow  baith  frac  yirth  and  sky. 

At  nature  ay  to  girn  and  thraw, 
Whan  she's  doing  us  na  ill  ava. 

Is  sure  a  sin  infernal ; 
And  even  suppose  she  sooks  the  purse, 
Still  her  we  ne'er  sud  dare  to  curse, 

hut  wi'  her  live  fraternal. 
A  man  has  i)ower  whiles  owre  his  fellow  man, 
But  nature  scorns  it  do  he  a'  he  can. 

Whane'er  she  likes  a  storm  she'll  blaw, 
I'lither  o'  rain,  or  hail,  or  snaw. 

And  we  puir  sauls  maun  bear  it ; 
For  no  a  single  doit  cares  she. 
Whether  wi'  it  we  happy  be, 

Or  whether  we  do  sneer  it. 
Sae  Robin  think  and  l(X)k  about  ye  fool, 
(Jr  gang  some  months  to  Reason's  Boarding  Schoui. 

Frils — Ruffles. 
Froad — Froth. 

Frush — Unsound,  decayed,  &c. 
FuDD — The  tail  or  ^;/////  of  a  hare. 
Fuddle — A  spell  at  tippling. 
FuDjKLLS — Fat  contented  persons. 
FuFF — To  puff. 
1*'  u  V  V I ,  K — To  tu  ftl  u . 


FUR  FYA  215 

P'URBEAST — The  horse  which  walks  in  the  furrow  when 
ploughing. 

FuRDER — To  aid,  to  prosper. 

FuRTHY — Forward. 

Fyaam  o*  auld  Glens — It  is  a  thing  quite  impossible  for 
me  to  express  the  meaning  of  this  fyaam,  or  fume  pro- 
ceeding from  old  glens,  except  to  keen  naturalists,  who 
have  felt  it.  It  is  the  scent  of  Melancholy,  as  it  were,  in 
her  abode  in  lonely  glens.  So  soon  as  the  smelling  organs 
feel  it,  the  soul  is  alive  to  all  the  charms  of  solitude,  and  to 
unutterable  objects  in  the  wild  bosom  of  nature.  It  is 
a  something  like  the  poet's  "  Hollow  hum  in  the  dark  green 
wode." 

"  There  is  a  pleasure  in  the  pathless  wood, 

**  There  is  a  rapture  on  the  lonely  shore  " — Sayeth  Byron. 

And  Byron  is  a  wild  strong  bard,  with  some  little  errors 
hanging  about  him,  thought  great  by  some,  whereas  the 
truth  is,  they  are  the  mere  dust  on  the  sandal  soles  of 
mighty  Madam  Genius. 

What  curse  is  this  within  my  brain, 
,  Which  sinks  me  thus  so  gloomy  sad, 

With  beating  heart,  and  head  in  pain, 

Upon  the  ixjint  of  running  mad? 
Am  I  a  sinner  black  and  bad, 

And  know  not  how  I  can  rejxint. 
Knew  1  my  crime,  1  would  be  glad. 
And  bear  with  peace  my  punishment, 
Hut  what  1  am,  I  know  not  the  extent. 

My  min<l,  I  feel's  a  mighty  wilderness, 

A  mass  of  something  quite  irregular. 
Which  sadness  wisheth  to  compress  ; 

Kut  o'er  the  world  'twill  i^trelch  afar, 
Tho'  alli^^ators  fling  their  jaws  ajar. 

And  snap  their  tusks  in  fell  array, 
lieyond  yon  moon,  ay,  and  yon  argol  star, 

Will  fancy  wing  her  sunward  way, 
And  scorn  the  clouds  that  woukl  befoul  the  day. 

Shall  savage  man,  with  all  his  gold, 

Be  fit  to  clip  the  poet's  wings, 
Or  turn  his  heart  by  freezing  cold, 

And  cut  its  lenderest  feeling  strings  ? 


2i6  FYA FYK 

Nay,  he  defies  unmanly  things, 

In  spite  of  fortune  energy  doth  burn. 
And  genius,  like  a  giant  springs, 

Tho'  gloominess  the  brains  may  chum. 
All  what's  not  independent  he  doth  spurn. 

O  !  happy  he  again  would  be, 

To  stroll  along  yon  sunny  shore, 
Or  by  the  glen  and  hawthorn  tree. 

Sweet  nature's  self  but  to  adore. 
But  oh,  how  mad,  how  sick  and  sore. 

The  breast  is  too  devoid  of  love ; 
O  !  would  this  withering  gale  blow  o'er. 

And  let  the  rustic  bard  go  rove. 
Singing  his  song,  and  trusting  in  his  God  above. 

How  wavering  is  the  human  mind;  full  of  changes. 
Melancholy  gives  it  strength ;  all  great  minds  have  felt  a 
great  deal  of  melancholy — ^from  gloominess  to  gaiety  how 
swiftly  it  alters. 

Hah,  ha,  this  mom  how  merry's  a 

The  tyke,  he  laughing  barks, 
The  code  ay  now  and  than  dis  craw. 

The  lift's  fii'  o'  cheery  larks. 

The  pyet  wags  her  tail  fii*  green. 

Plays  hap  and  charks  awa. 
Whiles  on  yon  tammock  she  is  seen. 

Then  Mi*  the  hoodicraw. 

The  de'il  the  haet  dis  gim  and  snarl. 

And  snuff  wi'  wrath  and  blaw. 
For  Jock's  come  back  to  the  rural  warl, 

Gieing  mony  a  loud  gaffa. 

Poets  and  poetry  dumfounder  me;  let  them  get  hence,  and 
the  Fyaam  d  tJie  auld  Glen. 

Fyabbles — Foibles ;  foolish  things. 

FvACHLE — To  work  at  any  thing  softly;  to  fyachie  dawHy 
to  fall  softly  down.  Fyac/iling^  moving  about  in  a  iilly 
manner,  and  seeming  to  work  at  something  in  a  feckless 
way. 

Fykes — Trivial  troubles. 

FvKES  Fair — A  singular  fair,  held  annually  at  the  Clau- 
chan  d  Auchencaim ;  it  begins  at  ten  d clock  at  night,  con- 
tinuing to  the  morning,  and  through  part  of  the  next  day. 


V 


FYL GAL  217 

All  the  drinkers,  floriers,  cutty  glUrs^  and  curious  folks, 
attend  from  all  parts  of  Galloway ;  and  when  so  many 
such  characters  are  met,  any  one  may  conclude,  what  for 
a  fair  it  is ;  that  it  is  one  of  the  most  blackguard  gatherings 
in  the  south  of  Scotland. 

Fyle — Make  dirty. 

*•  Her  face  wad  fyle  the  Logan  wattr."— Burns. 


G. 

Ga'— GalL 

Gab — The  mout^ ;  also  to  talk  pertly. 

Gabbie  Labbie — Confused  talking ;  the  way  in  which  we 
think  foreigners  talk  when  we  know  not  their  language. 

Gabbit — Did  talk. 

Gaberlunzie — A  wallet. 

Gaberlunzie  Man — A  man  who  carries  a  wallet 

Gaig — A  rend  or  crack  in  flesh  brought  on  with  dry  weather. 

Gaislins — Young  geese. 

Gaistcoal — A  coal,  that  when  it  is  burned  it  becomes  white. 
They  are  more  of  a  stone  nature  than  coal. 

Galdroch — A  greedy,  long-necked,  ill-shaped  person. 

Gallbusses — ^A  shrub  which  grows  plentifully  in  wild  moor- 
land marshes.  Its  leaves  are  something  like  the  willow, 
but  its  scent  is  different  from  that  of  any  other  shrub.  The 
scent  of  it  is  extremely  strong,  and  though  it  be  cut,  retains 
its  fiimes  and  freshness  for  many  months.  It  is  thought 
to  be  able  to  extirpate  insect  vermin  out  of  rooms.  I 
wonder  something  is  not  tried  with  this  astonishing  smelling 
plant ;  who  knows  but  it  is  highly  medical. 


2i8  GAL  GAN 

Gallowa' — A  large  district  or  shire,  ranging  along  the  south  ot 
Scotland,  anciently  much  larger  than  now,  stretching,  in  the 
days  of  yore,  from  the  English  border  to  the  Irish  Firth,  a 
distance  of  more  than  a  hundredmiles.  Its  breadth  has  not 
varied  much,  being  naturally  cut  off,  as  it  were,  from  the  rest 
of  Scotland,  by  a  range  of  wild  bleak  moors.  This  has  con- 
tinued much  the  same.  It  had  its  own  kings  once  ;  Galdus 
or  GaiderSy  whose  tomb  and  name  yet  exist  in  the  country, 
was  one  of  them,  and  it  is  thought  Galloway  had  its  name 
from  him,  which  is  not  unlikely.  Murray^  in  his  literary 
account  of  the  district,  quotes  various  authorities  resp)ecting 
the  name,  and  in  this,  shows  considerable  genius  and  re- 
search, though,  as  to  the  true  derivation,  it  yet  remains 
doubtful.  The  manners,  customs,  and  language  of  the 
peasantry  differing  widely  from  those  belonging  to  the  rest  of 
Scotland,  I  was  induced  to  say  something  respecting  them, 
being  fond  of  curiosity,  and  I  have  not  confined  myself  to 
the  Galloway  of  modern  days,  but  to  the  ancient  Gailavadia, 
Gailwallia,  or  Gailwegia,  for  doing  which,  if  any  thank  me, 
it  is  well,  and  if  none  do  so,  I  have  myself  to  thank,  which  I 
do  with  boldness  ;  because,  in  saying  what  I  have  said, 
I  have  felf  great  pleasure,  so  should  t/uink  myself  that  I 
found  out  this  little  source  of  happiness ;  and  even  had 
those  manners  and  what  not,  not  differed  so  widely  as  they 
do  from  their  neighbours,  still  I  would  have  said  something 
respecting  them,  not  that  I  may  know  matters  that  the 
world  knows  not,  and  perhaps  cares  little  about,  and  not 
that  I  like  to  hear  myself  talking,  but  just  to  show,  that  the 
peasants,  though  an  extremely  modest  race,  have  bred  one 
amongst  them  full  of  impudence. 

(jAMf — An  idle  meddling  person. 
Gampin — Gaping,  like  an  half-hanged  dog. 

Gang  u'  Water — The   water  that  is  brought  from  the   well 
at  once. 


GAN  — : GAU  219 

Gansh — To  snap  greedily  at  any  thing,  like  a  swine. 

Gar — To  cause,  to  make  do. 

Gardy-pick — An  expression  of  great  disgust 

Gardy-vine — A  large  beautiful  oblong-shaped  glass  bottle,  used 
for  holding  spirits.     It  is  from  the  German,  "  a  gin  bottle." 

Garten— Garter. 

Gates — Goats.     Gate-skin^  goat  skin. 

Gate-whey — The  whey  of  goat's  milk.  People  of  consump- 
tive habits  drink  it;  so  a  draught  of  goat's  whey,  and 
a  week's  recreation  in  the  moors,  are  as  much  relished  by 
people  living  on  sea-shores,  as  these  latter  places  are  to  the 
moorlanders. 

Gatin-Corn — That  bad  plan  of  drying  grain,  by  binding  the 
sheaves  near  the  top,  spreading  them  wide  below,  and  setting 
them  on  end  singly  They  dry,  to  be  sure,  pretty  soon,  but 
then  they  are  loose,  and  wet  as  soon ;  so,  if  it  be  variable 
weather,  they  commonly  are  rotted  useless. 

Gaucy — ^Jolly,  well-dressed  and  well-fed. 

Gaun  to  a  House — About  forty  or  fifty  years  ago,  visiting 
in  the  country  was  a  very  serious  matter;  that  is  to  say, 
there  was  no  such  thing  as  kiniia  ncebours  going  to  see 
how  other  were  at  their  houses,  unless  there  was  some 
urgent  business  in  hand  between  the  parties,  and  even  if 
there  were,  the  visitor  would  seldom  go  into  the  house, 
but  execute  his  mission,  or  what  not,  on  the  green  in  the 
open  air  ;  for  if  he  had,  he  would  not  have  come  out 
again,  if  a  young  man,  without  having  himself  eind  with 
one  of  the  daughters  of  that  establishment,  which  being 
done,  marriage  had  to  ensue.  The  natives  waited  for  the 
pair  to  be  cried  every  Sabbath-day  that  came,  in  the  kirk, 
and  if  no  proclamation  took  place,  the  fellow  was  badgered 
and  bantered  about  the  girl  where  ever  he  went ;  at  shoot- 


220  GAU  GEO 

i'ngSj  kirns,  prentiu-loosings^  &:c.  The  poor  lassie  would 
never  be  matched  to  another  ;  so  his  soul  would  give  way  to 
the  foolish  scandal  and  country  dash  afloat,  and  he  would 
enter  the  matrimonial  estate  to  get  clear  of  them  ;  thus,^a«« 
to  a  house,  as  it  was  called,  proved  to  be  a  sad  matter  often, 
if  the  lads  and  the  lasses  had  not  previously  engaged  other 
at  kirk'Stiles,  or  some  such  famous  courting  houfs  or  haunts. 

Gaut — A  male  swine. 

Gautsame — Hog's  lard. 

Gavle — Gable  of  a  house. 

Gawkie — ^A  foolish  girl. 

Ged — The  pike,  the  fresh  water  shark. 

Gedwing — An  ancient  looking  person  ;  an  antiquary,  and 
fisher  of  geds. 

Gee — ^A  species  of  madness.  "  My  wife  she's  ta'en  the  gee," 
as  the  auld  sang  goes.  My  wife  has  taken  some  mad  fit,  and 
is  almost  unmanageable. 

Geens — Wild  cherries, 

Gell — A  rend,  an  open  in  any  thing,  such  as  in  wood. 

Gellock — An  iron  crow-bar  for  making  "  Gdls  "  or  rends,  use- 
ful in  quarrying  stones. 

Gellocks — Insects  which  haunt  the  "Gells"  of  rocks, 
probably  of  the  earwig  species.  It  is  lobster  shaped, 
about  an  inch  long,  of  a  black  colour,  inclosed  in  a  hard 
rind.  They  bite  savage-like,  and  their  bite  is  attended 
always  with  a  little  poison. 

Gemmle — A  long-legged  man. 

Geordie  Wushart — An  eminent  rustic  bard,  and  one  of 
the  most  honest  and  social  of  men.  He  is  chief  salmon- 
fisher  on  the  Dee,  but  was  bom  and  bred  somewhere  on 
the  Scottish  border.  In  his  ways  all — he  is  quite  an  origi- 
nal ;  every  motion  of  either  his  body  or  mind  attests  it.    He 


GEO  GEO  221 

can  tell  the  most  humorous  tale  without  giving  a  single 
smile  with  his  countenance  :  he  will  have  all  around  him  in 
a  roar  of  laughter,  and  himself  sitting  the  while  as  serious  as 
Socrates. — He  is  one  of  the  most  patient  and  contented  men 
on  earth,  nor  is  this  happy  temper  annoyed  by  him  having  a 
hell  of  a  woman  for  a  wife,  as  the  unfortunate  sage  lately 
mentioned  had,  for,  on  the  contrary,  she  is  a  worthy  and 
amiable  female. 

As  to  his  poetic  talents,  few  there  are  who  have  the 
pleasure  of  estimating  them,  as  they  have  not  yet  been 
fairly  laid  before  the  world's  microscopic  eye;  but  I 
for  one,  have  been  honoured  with  a  peep  at  his  MSS.  in 
their  present  state,  so  am  able  to  say  what  I  think  of 
them,  which,  without  the  "decimal  fraction  of  a  doit's- 
worth  of  flattery,  I  say  they  are  extremely  natural  and 
pleasant,  and  ought  to  have  got  a  squeeze  in  the  press 
long  ago."  There  is  not  much  wildness  and  madness 
about  them ;  they  are  simple  and  halesome,  not  unlike  the 
strain  of  Allan  Ramsay. 

His  General  Review  and  Eternal  Almanack  are  indeed 
superior  to  most  rustic  poems  in  my  knowing.  Their  plots, 
and  the  way  in  which  they  are  handled,  prove  Geordy 
to  be  a  man  of  genius.  He  is  not  only  a  poet,  but  a 
very  clever  mathematician,  understanding  Algebra  well,  and 
can  engrave  beautiful  sun-dials.  I  once  sent  him  a 
dial  of  rather  a  singular  construction,  when  he  thanked  me 
as  follows : — 

I  gat  the  dial  that  ye  sent, 

It  was  ane  handsome  compliment, 

And  thanks  are  due  on  cent,  per  cent. 

In  gratitude  frae  Geordy. 

I  ne'er  sa  v  ought  like  it  afore, 
I  glowered  at  it  owre  and  owre, 
The  farer  I  did  it  explore, 

It  gied  mair  joy  to  Geordy. 


2  22  GEO  GEO 

O  !  cud  I  write  the  vera  best 
That  ever  was  in  words  express' t, 
*Twas  due  to  thee  boon  a*  the  rest 

That  ere  sent  ought  to  Geordy. 

Hut,  O,  alas  !  my  muse  is  dull. 
The  pen  is  frail,  and  thick  the  scull, 
Hut  for  the  deecl  ye'Il  talc  the  wuU 

Frae  a  well-wisher  Geordy. 

Though  there  may  be  rather  too  much  sweet  oil  in  these 
thanks,  yet  any  one  of  penetration  may  see  they  flow  from 
a  tender  and  good  heart.     In  truth,  there  is  no  man  more 
beloved  by  all  who  know  him  than  Geordy.    His  honest  face 
brightens  up  every  company  he  is  in  ;  whether  that  company 
be  in  the  Hall  d  Barniewatery  Auld  Ned's  Antichaniber^  or 
St.  Cuthberfs  Mason  Lodge.     He  is  fond  of  shooting,  and 
in  Galloway  there  is  none  can  ii'ield  a  double  barrlic  so  well 
as  Geordy.     When  the  game  springs,  whether  on  foot  or 
wing,  he  takes  a  snuff  deliberately,  brings  the  gun  quietly  up 
to  his  e'e,  lets  fly,  and  if  he  misses,  it  is  a  uwnder.     But,  to 
give  a  further  proof  of  his  poetic  powers,  and  firstly  then,  a 
piece,  entitled 

THE  THOW. 

The  bitter-biting  frost  now  seems  to  fail. 
And  safter  zephyrs  wave  the  leafless  trees. 

How  quick  the  thow  dissolves  the  snaw  and  hail. 
And  sets  the  ice-bound  waters  at  their  ease. 

Tlie  chittering  burdies,  draigglin  forlorn, 
Now  find  their  sustenance  with  easy  care. 

Nor  do  they  come  at  e'ening  and  at  mom 

To  touch  the  borders  of  the  schoolboy's  snare. 

The  wakcfu'  lark,  that  by  the  early  da^xTi, 

\Vi'  vocal  notes  doth  warn  the  approach  of  day, 

\Vhen  that  the  flakcy  snaw  o'erspread  the  lawn, 
Amaist  became  destructive  Famine's  prey. 

Hut  now  the  sun  extends  a  warmer  glance. 
His  cheering  rays  again  doth  gladness  bring, 

A'  nature  now  enjoys  unboundetl  dance. 

And  welcomes  back  the  sweet  returning  spring. 


GEO  GER  223 

Again  the  Jinny  tribe  will  glad  the  stream, 

The  artm*  angler  a'  his  wiles  will  try, 
TTie  cheerfu*  ploughman  whistling  by  the  team, 

His  masters  place  will  faithfully  supply. 

Rejoice,  rejoice,  a'  nature  at  the  sight, 

Again  the  fields  assume  a  verdant  green, 
Again  the  woolly  flocks  do  take  the  height. 

And  lowing  herds  are  in  the  vallies  seen. 

The  above  poem  is  tolerable,  but  had  it  been  more 
Scotchified,  I  would  have  liked  it  better;  however,  he 
makes  this  up  in  his  answer  to  a  friend  who  sent  him  some 
good  snuff. 

MACABAA. 

Sir — I  gat  yer  sang  wi*  the  fine  Macabaa, 

For  which  I  gie  naething  but  thanks  that  arc  sma\ 
To  see  sic  a  poet,  andyhe/  there  do  kmnu  it. 

Why  do  ye  conceal  sic  a  talent  ai'a  ? 
There  s  some  silly  asses  wha  dim  up  Parnassus, 

And  think  there  to  shine  on  the  poetic  law^ 
But  tmly  I  tell  ye,  few,  few  can  excel  1  ye 

In  yer  funny  wee  sang  o'  the  rare  Macabaa. 

Your  halesome  advices  sac  canty  and  braw 

About  the  drap  whusky,  the  saul-case  and  a', 
Ye  surely  are  right,  for  by  day  and  by  night, 

We  sud  keep  frae  the  hizzies  when  tippling  awa. 
But  now  ae  request  I  maun  ask  o'  ye  neist, 

Altho*  it  be  bmcking  discretion's  gude  law, 
Neist  time  ye  gang  north,  by  the  Clyde  or  the  P'orth, 

^'e  maun  bring  me  a  treat  o'  this  same  Macabaa. 

I^ng  life  to  yersell  then,  the  mistress,  and  a'. 

May  happiness  crown  ye  by  Harmony's  law  ; 
May  your  faes  ay  be  few,  and  your  friens  ay  cnew, 

Until  your  last  breath  on  this  warl  ye  draw  : 
And  through  a'  our  lives,  wi'  our  friens  and  our  wives, 

May  temperance  ay  be  the  rule  to  us  a*, 
Wi'  a  wee  drap  o'  Toddy  to  nourish  the  body. 

And  sometimes  a  teat  o'  the  gude  Macabaa. 

J^are-thee-well  then,  my  worthy  Gcordy. 

^ERROND  the  Poet — What  a  difference  there  is  between 
this  bard,  and  the  one  just  sketched.  John  Gerrond  the 
^(^(nv^  and  George  Wishart  the  sa^i^e.     The  first,  an  honour  to 


2  24  GER  GER 

the  Muses,  the  other  a  disgrace.  He  was  bred  a  blacksmith ; 
went  to  America ;  drank  and  frolicked  in  the  world  beymd 
the  flood ;  came  back  again,  tilting  over  the  white  iop'd 
surges  of  the  Gulf  of  Florida,  to  use  his  own  language,  then 
published  at  various  times  stuff  he  termed  poems ;  shameless 
trash,  appearing  as  if  they  had  been  dug  out  of  the  lovely 
bosom  of  an  Assmidding. 

For  all  there  is  much  about  him  deserving  my  attention. 
Some  genuine  madness,  vanity,  and  folly ;  and  I  will  dare  to 
say,  that  if  he  had  had  ten  times  more  industry  than  what  he 
has,  he  would  have  wrote  some  tolerable  verses,  as  his  madness 
is  ratherly  that  of  a  poet's.  In  truth,  his  ^ed  Lion  Frolic  is 
as  fine  a  specimen  of  gowishness  as  I  have  seen.  He  says 
he  is  the  first  of  Vulcan's  sons  who  strives  to  climb  the 
sliddery  brae,  and  that  as  music  was  first  produced  by  striking 
on  an  anvil,  he  expects  that  even  something  greater  yet  may 
be  produced  in  a  smiddy,  and  that  nothing  ever  came  firom 
those  whose  ears  hear  little  but  the  chirping  of  the  yam-beam. 
Indeed,  was  not  the  tender  Tannahill  a  weaver;  j)oor 
Gerrond,  I  won't  hurt  thee,  thou  hast  been  injured  much 
already  by  the  destiny  of  thy  stars  ;  for  Bums,  you  say,  was 
very  lucky  in  appearing  at  the  time  he  did.  He  got  just  the 
start  of  you  by  a  few  years,  and  took  up  all  those  subjects 
which  was  befitting  your  muse  :  just  so  ;  but  if  he  had  never 
wrote,  neither  would  ye  have  done  so,  nor  ever  have  thought 
that  Halloiveen  and  the  Holyfair  were  frolics  that  a  poet 
could  make  exist  to  eternity ;  so  Gerrond  is  a  strange 
creature,  and  perhaps  there  never  was  any  being  moved 
about  more  independent  than  he  in  clogs  and  a  ruffled  sark, 
for  which  he  has  my  highest  praise ;  for  poverty,  in  all  its 
shapes,  he  values  nothing.  Give  him  a  glass  or  two  of 
whisky,  and  he  would  not  call  the  king  his  cousin ;  and 
no  one  deserves  a  glass  more  than  he,  for  he  both  loves  it 
dearly,  and  will  give  thanks  for  it  either  in  clink  or  other- 


GER   GIE  225 

ways.      The    Peatmoss    is    his    longest    poem,    beginning 
with 

"  Some  delight  to  sing  o'  battle, 

**  Whether  victory  or  loss  ; 
**  But  whoever  owre  a  bottle 

**  Sang  the  scenes  o'  a  Peatmoss." 

While  ranging  for  subscribers  once  through  the  country, 
a  priest  was  so  impudent  as  to  tell  him  he  was  no  poet 
"  Don't  you  think  (returned  our  hero),  that  the  Almighty  is 
as  potent  now  as  he  was  in  the  days  of  old?"  Surely, 
(replied  the  priest)  "Wi  than  (quoth  Gerrond),  he  has 
opened  the  mouth  of  another  ass  to-day,  methinks."  This 
retort  was  not  so  far  amiss  ;  on  the  whole,  he  is  a  harmless 
soul,  and  reels  about  like  a  true  poet,  contented,  in  rags, 
and  commonly  as  fow  as  the  Baltic.  It  is  far  from  me  to 
discourage  the  efforts  of  genius ;  I  am  quite  on  the  side  of 
a  young  poet,  if  I  have  any  penetration  to  see  he  is  on  the 
right  side  d  the  dyke ;  but,  hoh,  ho,  Gerrond  was  never  there, 
and  is  too  old  now  to  speil  over.  Merit  will  work  its 
way,  under  a  million  disadvantages,  to  the  Temple  of  Fame  ; 
nothing  else  will  do.     But  oh  ! 

**  Ilk  clauchans  pang'd  wi'  gcafish  bards, 

**  The  de'il  a  mailins  free  o*  them  ; 
**  Tie  their  bladders  to  their  tails, 

*'  And  owre  the  brig  o'  Dee  wi'  them." 

Auld  Gallaiuay  song, 

GiBB  Cats — Male  cats. 
GiE — To  pry. 

GiEAN  Carlins — A  set  of  carlins  common  in  the  days  away, 
but  now  so  much  unknown,  that  account  of  them  is  almost 
lost  They  were  of  a  prying  nature,  and  if  they  had  found 
any  one  alone  on  Auld  Halloween,  they  would  have  stuffed 
it  with  "  beerawns  and  butter" 

GiEiNG  UP  THE  Names — The  ceremony  attending  the  giving 
in  to  the  Precentor  the  names  of  those  to  be  cried  or  pro- 


226  GIE GIL 

claimed  to  church  congregations,  previous  to  marriage;  so 
that  any  who  wish  to  object  to  such  and  such  matrimonial 
concerns  going  forward,  may  do  so;  they  have  then  the 
power  to  fling  down  sixpence,  and  protest  against  proceedings 
going  farther,  a  thing  seldom  done.  Though  they  be  cried 
three  times,  if  the  three  cryings  be  put  all  past  on  one  day,  as 
is  now  commonly  the  case,  the  Precentor's  loof  rawst  be  better 
creeched  than  if  he  took  three  separate  days  to  it,  which  is 
the  strict  point  of  church  law.  Those  names  are  generally 
given  in  on  a  Saturday  night.  The  parties  meet  in  a  pub- 
lic house ;  no  females  attend ;  the  father  or  brother  of  tbe 
bride  is  her  representative ;  the  bridegroom  is  present,  and 
his  best  many  on  the  Precentor  being  called  in  to  the  meeting 
(a  business  he  generally  likes,  as  he  gets  plenty  both  to  eat 
and  drink  for  nothing),  the  names  are  wrote  down  on  a  slip 
of  paper  ;  the  bride's  name  by  one  of  her  relations  present, 
and  the  bridegroom's  by  his  man;  after  this  is  done,  the 
bowzing  goes  merrily  on;  the  whisky  pimch  dashes  about 
like  dishwater ;  all  present  get  fuddled,  and  the  Precentor 
worst  of  all,  2&fouf  as  a  witch. 

Such  is  iht  fourth  bout,  in  the  regular  routine  of  a  proper 
matrimonial  transaction ;  first  taking  the  notion ;  secondly, 
courting ;  thirdly,  getting  consent  of  the  auld  folks ^  and  buy- 
ing the  braws ;  and  fourthly,  gieing  up  the  names ;  then 
comes  the  crying,  the  wedding,  the  kirking,  and  lastly  the 
taking  up  house, 

GiEZiE — A  person  fond  of  prying  into  matters  which  concerns 
him  nothing. 

Gift  o*  Gab — Having  power  to  gabble. 

Gill — This  word  comes  from  the  same  root  as  gelL  It  is,  as 
it  were,  a  small  rend  in  the  earth ;  a  little  glen,  through 
which  runs  a  brook.  A  gill^  a  glen,  sl  cleugh^  and  a 
haugh  are   all  of  the  same  family,  but  differing  in  magni- 


GIL GIL  227 

tude,  all  excavations  of  this  planet  caused  by  the  running  of 
water. 

GrLL — ^A  leech.  This  word,  and  "^//"  are  one,  for  the 
leech  is  a  creature  that  makes  ^^  geils''  in  the  flesh.  The 
word  gellj  I  am  not  sure  whether  it  is  of  Norman  or  Erse 
extniction ;  I  am  inclined  to  think  the  latter.  If  cream  be 
rubbed  on  those  parts  of  the  body  where  leeches  are  to 
be  put,  they  will  take  hold  sooner  than  without  it.  The 
bite  of  a  leech  is  poisonous  when  newly  taken  out  of  its 
native  place :  they  should  be  kept  some  time  before  used  ; 
the  water  they  are  put  in  should  be  changed  every  day, 
and  that  water  should  be  much  of  the  nature  of  their  native 
water,  of  an  half  putrid  nature,  for  it  is  on  the  viewless 
animals  of  this  water  they  live.  Spring  water  is  death 
to  them,  and  they  should  have,  if  possible,  fresh  air.  A 
bottle  is  not  a  good  thing  to  keep  them  in ;  it  should  be 
a  wider  vessel,  with  a  lid  holed  like  a  sieve. 

The  wound  they  make  is  of  a  singular  shape,  something 
like  the  letter  Y;  three  legs  striking  off  from  a  centre,  having 
the  angle  of  sixty  degrees  between  them.  Nature,  thou  art 
a  wonderful  mathematician ;  what  wound  would  answer  so 
well  as  one  of  this  form,  both  for  letting  out  blood,  and 
healing  soon.  Like  the  bees,  with  their  hexagonal  combs, 
no  other  solid  would  answer  them  so  well.  Leeches  deserve 
attention ;  when  we  wish  them  to  vomit,  nothing  but  their 
mouths  should  touch  the  salt. 

GiLiXJATHERERS — People  who  gather  leeches  in  the  marshes. 
These  are  commonly  old  women;  they  wade  about  with 
their  coats  kilted  high;  the  vampires  lay  hold  of  them 
by  the  legs,  when  the  gill-gatherers  take  them  off,  and 
bottle  them  up.  These  persons  have  commonly  a  long 
stick,  called  a  gill-rung^  with  them.  When  they  come 
to  a  deep  hole,  they  plunge  in  it  with  this,  and  start  the 
leeches,  singing  a  strange  song  at  the  same  time  to  the 


228  GIL  GIL 

rouses  of  the  pole.     Annexed  to  this,  is  Maily  Mtsdin^  the 
gill^vMs  one : — 

Gilly,  gilly,  gilly, 
Come  and  sook  thy  filly  : 
Hear'st  thou  Mally  plunging 
\Vi'  the  rung  a  runging  ? 
Bubbles  up  are  boiling, 
Am  kirning  and  am  toiling  ; 
Ye  dinna  hear  my  swashes, 
For  blue  seag-  roots  and  rashes  ; 
My  gilly,  strii>ed  gilly, 
Come  and  sook  thy  nlly. 

Let  me  see  ye  wimple. 
And  make  the  water  dimple  ; 
Start  now  frae  the  boddum, 
Tho'  it  I  canna  fadom  : 
Come  and  see  thy  Mally, 
The  body's  living  brawly ; 
Tho*  warroching  in  mires, 
Puir  Mally  never  tires ; 
Come  awa,  my  gilly. 
And  sook  thy  fiUy,  filly. 

My  under-cotie*s  hie  now, 
Gif  ony  bodies  see  now, 
The  water's  boon  my  knee  now, 
Aye  faith,  aboon  mid  thee,  now 
Amang  my  yallow  spawlies. 
There  ye  come  and  crawlies ; 
Bonny  s  the  moss  lilly, 
But  bonnier  far  my  gilly : 
Now  thou  sticks,  my  gilly, 
Sook  thy  filly,  filly. 

GiLL-HA*s — Snug  little  thatched  huts  erected  in  guls^  or 
small  glens.  These  are  often,  in  Galloway,  and  other 
places,  the  birth-places  of  genius.  Out  of  these  issue 
young  men,  whiles  excellent  at  climbing  the  slippery 
Mount  Parnassus.  The  Ettrick  Shepherd  was  doubtless 
bom  in  a  gill-ha*.  They  are  the  famous  archives  for 
legendary  tales;  there  are  the  cream  of  the  milk  of  ages; 
the  food  of  pleasure. 

Gill-pies — Young  tight  girls,  looking  out  for  husbands. 

GiLL-RONNiES — Glcns  fuU  of  bushes,  haunts  of  poets,  and 
people  a  sproging;  sweet  rural  solitudes. 


GIL GIN  229 

GiLL-TOWALS — ^The  horse-leeches.  These  leeches  are  of  no 
use  to  man,  as  the  others  are ;  they  won't  bite  when  wished. 
The  country  people,  however,  think  otherways,  and  would 
not  allow  one  of  them  to  be  "  laid  to "  for  a  good  deal,  as 
report  goes ;  that  if  they  be  "  laid  to,'^  they  won't,  like  the 
others,  "  fall  off,"  but  continue  sucking  so  long  as  they  can 
get  a  drop  of  blood,  while  the  life-stream  flows  out  of  their 
nether  etid^  whence  the  name  "  Toiuals^^  or  tails,  leeches  at 
either  end. 

GiLLY-OAWKiE — A  long-made  and  rompish  girl. 

GiLLY-OAWPOCK — Nearly  the  same  as  above,  only  the  other 
is,  or  was,  the  name  of  a  farm  once  in  Galloway.  **  Gaping 
glens  "  may  be  about  the  English  of  it 

GiNNERS — The  gills  of  a  fish.  "  I  gaed  my  way  on  tae  saun 
the  ither  day,  and  raised  a  pickle  bait  (quoth  the  celebrated 
John  M'Clellan),  and  wad  awa,  and  try  the  fishing.  The 
wun  was  aff  the  Ian',  so  I  thought  I  might  get  a  cod  or  twa 
about  the  Laird's  Pointy  or  aff  the  Redcraigy  but  I  had  na 
row'd  the  boat  to  the  *  witch  wiv^s  haen^  whan  the  wun  cam 
ahead,  and  I  was  obliged  to  bring  her  to  aff  the  Oyster  Craig, 
Weel,  there  I  sat,  and  gat  naething  but  plenty  o'  wee 
*  bleuchens,'  but  owre  i'  the  afternoon,  just  as  I  was  thinking  on 
starting  for  hame,  I  fin'  an  awfu'  tugging  at  the  line,  owre  the 
scullrow;  my  coat  I  flang  aff,  the  better  to  manage  the 
meikle  fish,  drew  the  *  dart  click '  to  me,  to  double  huik  him, 
whan  I  brought  him  near  the  tap  o'  the  water.  Sae  up  I 
brought  him  slowly,  the  biggest  fluik  ever  I  saw  ;  nae  com- 
mon pan  wad  hae  ta'en  him  in  at  hauf  a  dizzen  times.  I 
brought  him  safely  intae  boat ;  he  had  swallowed  the  bait 
greedily,  the  huik  was  sticking  in  his  *  ginners,^  I  took  out 
ray  knife,  ripped  up  his  un'er-jaw,  to  get  back  the  huik ;  but 
just  as  I  lifted  him,  to  fling  aft  a  bit,  lord  !  he  gaed  a  de'il's 
wallop,  slipped  out  o*  my  han',  and  o'er  the  gunnel  o'  the 


230  GIR GLE 

boat  again  intae  water.  I  let  dive  after  him  wi'  my  arms  to 
the  oxters,  but  he  slided  awa.  O  !  I  was  vexed ;  I  drew  up 
the  penter,  gaed  awa  ashore  to  Meg  wi'  the  tear  in  my  eye. 
Sinsyne,  I  hae  thought  it  was  na  a  fleuk,  but  some  watch  in 
the  shape  o*  ane,  may  be,  Eppie  Hanna;  gif  that  be  sae,  she 
has  sair  ginners  the  day,  be  she  whar  she  wull. 

Gird — A  hoop,  a  blow. 
Girds  o'  the  Wun — Blasts  of  the  storm. 
GiRNELL — A  box  or  barrel  for  holding  oatmeal 
GiRSE — Grass. 

GiRSE-GAWD — Cut  by  grass.  Those  who  run  bare-foot,  as 
"  herds  "  do,  know  well  what  these  cuts  are. 

GiRSLE — A  gristle. 

GiRZY  or  Grizzle — Name  for  Grace. 

Glakes — Playthings  for  children. 

Glaumer — Witchery,  the  black  art.  Man  can  do  nothing 
supernatural,  yet  he  has  powers  to  make  some  of  his  weaker 
brethren  think  he  can.  Man  can  invent  singular  things,  and 
so  bemistify  them,  that  others  may  gape  and  wonder ;  but 
there  is  no  genuine  glaumer  about  him,  nor  there  is  no 
glaumer  at  the  present  day  in  existence,  unless  the  eyes  of 
fair  females  contain  a  little. 

Glaums — Instruments  used  by  horse-gelders,  when  gelding. 

Glaur — Soft  mire  or  moss. 

Gleboring — Talking  carelessly. 

Gledge — To  hang  about  thief-like. 

Gled*s-claws — We  say  of  anything  that  has  got  into  greedy 
keeping,  that  it  has  got  into  the  gkd's  claws,  where  it  will  be 
kept  until  it  be  savagely  devoured. 

Gleed — A  comfortable  little  fire;  w^hen  the  embers  of^e gieed 
are  stirred,  and  a  blue  flame  appears,  it  betokens  bad 
weather. 


GLE  GLE  231 

Gled's-nests — Nests  of  the  kite.  These  are  common  in 
moorland  glens :  they  build  there  on  what  the  shepherds 
call  scurrie  thorns^  low  dwarfish  thorns ;  and  these  nests, 
when  young  gleds  are  in  them,  are  kept  well  filled  with 
mice  and  moles,  which  proves  that  this  bird  not  only  preys 
on  animals  of  its  own  tribe,  but  on  quadrupeds.  It  is  a  greedy 
bird,  the  kite,  and  extremely  useless  in  bearing  up  against 
the  rudeness  of  winter ;  one  would  think,  that  when  the 
frost  and  snow  reduced  the  little  birds  to  a  sad  forlorn 
state,  that  those  of  prey  would  then  be  feasting.  This  is 
not  so,  though  ;  a  mark  of  the  wisdom  of  Providence  :  cold 
sets  upon  the  prowling  vagabonds  in  a  manner  that  naturalists 
have  not  found  out  \  for,  frequently  in  winter,  they  not  only 
want  strength  of  wing  to  catch  their  prey,  but  can  neither 
kill  nor  eat  it  when  it  is  catched,  as  I  have  often  seen  proved. 

"  The  tod's  a  beast  no  easy  fed, 

**  Lykewise  the  burd  they  ca'  the  gled, 

**  The  wasp,  the  speedard,  and  the  ged 

"Are  greedy  curses  ; 
**  And  factor  Jock  is  damn'd  ill-bred 

**  Wi'  our  light  purses." 

Auld poem  of  the  Rent  Day. 

Gled's-VVhussle — Kites,  when  they  fall  in  with  prey,  give 
a  kind  of  wild  whistling  scream.  We  apply  this,  meta- 
phorically, to  the  ways  of  men,  in  the  phrase,  "  It's  no  for 
nought  the  gled-whussles : "  meaning,  it  is  not  for  nothing 
that  greedy  men  whistle ;  it  is  the  good  fee  makes  the  lawyer 
whistie. 

<}led  Wvlie — The  name  of  a  singular  game  played  at 
country  schools.  One  of  the  largest  of  the  boys  steals 
away  from  his  comrades,  in  an  angry  like  mood,  to  some 
dyke^ide  or  sequestered  nuik^  and  there  begins  to  work  as 
if  putting  a  pot  on  a  fire.     I'he  others  seem  alarmed  at  his 


232  GLE  GLE 

manner,  and  gather  round  him,  when  the  following  dialogue 
takes  place  : — 

They  say  first  to  him, 

What  are  ye  for  wi'  the  pot,  gudeman  ? 

Say  what  are  ye  for  wi*  the  pot  ? 
We  dinna  like  to  see  ye,  gudeman, 

Sae  thrang  about  this  spot. 

We  dinna  like  ye  ava,  gudeman. 

We  dinna  like  ye  ava, 
Are  ye  gaun  to  grow  a  gled,  gudeman  ? 

And  our  necks  draw  and  thraw  ? 

He  answers, 

Your  minnie  burdies  ye  maun  lae, 

Ten  to  my  nocket  I  maun  hae, 
Ten  to  my  e'enshanks,  and  or  I  gae  lye. 

In  my  wame  I'll  lay  twa  dizzen  o*  ye  by. 

The  mother  of  them,  as  it  were,  returns, 

Try't  than,  try*t  than,  do  what  ye  can. 

Maybe  ye  maun  toomer  sleep  the  night,  gudeman  ; 

Try't  than,  try't  than,  Gled-wylie  frae  the  heugh. 

Am  no  sae  saft,  Gled-wylie,  ye'll  fin'  me  bauld  and  teugh. 

After  these  rhymes  are  said,  the  chickens  cling  to  the 
mother  all  in  a  string.  She  fronts  the  flock,  and  does  all  she 
can  to  keep  the  kite  from  her  brood ;  but  often  he  breaks 
the  row,  and  catches  his  prey.  Such  is  the  sport  of  GUd- 
wylie, 

Glenkens— A  glen  amongst  rocks.  This  is  the  laigest 
and  wildest  glen  in  Galloway,  extending  into  many 
parishes.  In  the  heart  of  it  is  the  Loch  o^  Ken^  a  lovely 
lake,  Neufgallmvay  Ciauchan,  and  the  ancient  seat  of  the 
Gordons  of  Kenmore,  It  is  a  most  romantic  place :  it  was 
on  his  way  through  it  (in  riding  from  Dumfries  to  GaU- 
house),  that  Burns  composed  the  chief  of  national  songs, 
"  Scots  wha  hae  wV  Wallace  bled"  He  did  this  during  a 
storm  of  rain ;  the  storm,  and  the  wild  situation  in  which 
it  catched   the    poet,    must  have   aided  those  uncommon 


OLE  GOI  233 

manly  breathings  of  the  song  to  burst  forth.  He  was 
accompanied  in  his  journey  by  his  friend,  Mr,  SimSy  who 
wrote  out  the  story.  Galloway,  then,  must  have  some 
share  in  the  honour  of  giving  birth  to  the  famous  effusion, 
and  a  small  share  even,  is  surely  a  great  honour. 

Glent — To  gleam  suddenly,  or  a  sudden  gleam  of  light 

Glibb — Quick,  sharp,  more  so  than  needful.  A  person  too 
quick,  as  it  were,  for  the  world,  or  "e//^^,"  is  generally 
disliked. 

Glibbans — A  glibb  person. 

Gliff — A  transient  view  of  any  thing. 

Glisk — ^A  glimpse  of  light.  A  little  light  flung  suddenly  on  a 
dark  object  Gliff  is  the  short  view ;  glisk,  the  little  light 
which  gave  the  short  view. 

Glitt — Oily  matter,  which  makes  the  stones  of  brooks  slippery 
in  summer. 

Glocken — A  start  from  a  fright. 

Gloit — A  soft  delicate  person. 

Gloss — A  comfortable  little  fire  of  embers. 

Glumf — ^A  sulky  fool. 

Glunch — ^To  look  sulky. 

Glundv — ^A  fellow  with  a  sulky  look,  but  not  sulky  for 
all :  one  who  deceives  by  appearances )  also  a  plough- 
ridder. 

Glunner — An  ignorant  sour-tempered  fellow. 

Glutted — Swallowed. 

Glving — Looking  with  one  eye. 

Goave — To  gaze  with  fear. 

Goits — ^Young  birds  unplumed. 


234  GOM GOU 

GoMF — ^A  fool,  or  one  who  wishes  to  seem  so. 

GoMRELL — The  same  as  above. 

GoNKED — Cheated. 

GooL — ^The  seed  of  wild  herbs.  That  seed  which  is  taken  out 
amongst  com. 

GoosETS — Pieces  of  cloth  set  in  at  certain  angular  points 
of  clothing,  so  that  they  may  better  befit  the  body.  Little 
out-lets,  as  it  were,  well  known  to  the  sewers  of  white-seam, 

GoRBLE — To  eat  ravenously. 

GoRDED  LozENS — Panes  of  window-glass,  in  the  time  of  frost, 
are  so  termed.  What  beautiful  objects  like  trees  do  there 
appear  in  the  frigid  season. 

GoRLiN-HAiR — ^The  first  hair  which  grows  on  body  or 
beast  That  hair  on  young  birds  before  the  feathers 
cometh. 

GoRLiNS  or  GoRBs — Young  birds. 

GoRROCH — To  mix  and  spoil  porridge,  or  such  food. 

Goth — An  exclamation,  and  a  bad  one,  for  it  is  no  less  than  a 
molification  of  the  sacred  word  God;  goth  man,  goth  ay, 
goth  this,  and  goth  that,  are  by  far  too  common  sayings; 
many  are  led  to  prologue  their  words  by  them,  who  know 
not  the  meaning  of  the  language  they  are  using;  let  all 
desist  from  tampering  with  this  word  in  the  time  to  come ; 
let  goth  become  obsolete,  so  will  we  be  respecting  the  name 
of  our  Almighty  Creator ;  also,  let  haith,  which  is  used  for 
faith,  sink  to  oblivion. 

Gou — A  bad  taste  or  smell. 

GouRLiNs — The  black  bulbous  roots  of  an  herb  with  a  white 
bushy  flower,  good  to  eat,  called  Hornecks  in  some  parts  of 
Scotland. 


GOW  GOW  235 

Gow — A  name  for  a  fool. 

GowDiE — Mr.  John  Goldie,  a  young  gentleman,  for  some  time 
editor  of  the  "  Ayr  and  Wigtonshire  Courier,"  born  and  bred 
in  Ayrshire,  but  being  the  manager  of  this  newspaper,  and  it 
having  ado  with  part  of  Galloway,  of  course  it  behoves  me  to 
take  notice  of  him.  And  I  do  this  with  much  pleasure,  for 
why,  I  consider  my  friend  very  worthy  of  it,  he  is  a  poet^  that's 
enough ;  yes,  and  a  poet  too,  agreeable  to  my  taste,  as  also 
I  should  think  of  every  peasant  in  Scotland ;  and  I  would 
much  rather  be  a  bard  that  could  kittle  up  the  feelings  of  the 
country  folks,  than  one  who  was  a  favourite  at  court ;  but 
the  truth  is,  a  peasant's  poet  is  also  a  prince's,  for  who  are 
not  moved  with  the  mellow  voice  of  nature  ?  it  thrills  through 
the  breast  enstarred,  as  quick  as  through  that  covered  with 
the  comer  of  a  plaid;  it  works  its  way  to  the  heart,  be 
that  heart  in  what  situation  it  may.  Mr.  Goldie  has  cer- 
tainly much  of  the  right  ore  about  him,  ready  to  be  brought 
forth,  and  (without  much  amalgamation  with  other  metals), 
stampt  in  that  mint,  which  issues  out  the  genuine  coin 
that  endures  for  ages.  Lately  he  published  a  volume  of 
sweet  little  pieces,  some  of  them  reminded  me  not  a  little 
of  the  strain  of  Tom  Moore.  He  is  the  author  of  that 
song  which  took  such  a  hold  of  the  stage  in  the  days  of 
dandyism,  and  partly  helped  to  bring  these  toy-shop  gentry 
into  ridicule ;  it  begins  with,  as  many  know. 

There's  the  wealthy  widow  Watt, 
She's  as  ugly  as  her  cat, 

She's  toothless,  dull  of  hearing,  crooked  and  bandy  O  ! 
Tho'  her  skin's  as  dark  as  my  hat. 
Yet  her  cash  can  cover  that, 

For  the  cash  you  know's  the  thing  that's  for  the  dandy  O. 

When  editor  of  the  newspaper,  he  was  the  means  of  bring- 
ing many  a  gem  out  of  the  gulf  of  oblivion ;  he  lent  not  a 
deaf  ear  to  the  whisperings  of  Genius,  but  freely  gave  the 
goddess  a  corner  whenever  he  heard  her  voice.    He  was  one  of 


236  GOW  GOW 

the  chief  instruments  by  which  was  completed  with  so  much 
eclat  on  the  banks  d  bonny  Doon,  a  monument  to  the  me- 
mory of  Bums,  or  ratherly  a  land-mark  to  guide  the  pilgrim 
in  after  ages  to  the  venerable  Kirk  Allowa ;  as  also  the  one 
who  constituted  an  Ayr  Burni  Club,  to  commemorate  the 
anniversary  of  the  bard  in  his  native  town  ;  on  the  whole,  this 
gentleman's  conduct  has  not  been  unlike  that  of  Mr. 
M*Diarmid's,  Dumfries,  to  be  afterwards  spoken  of:  he  has 
the  love  of  mankind  and  literature  at  heart ;  is  like  myself 
now  driving  away  in  London,  so  God  speed  the  wark^  and 
ever  sing  "success  to  the  cause."  I  may  here  treat  my 
readers  to  an  effusion  of  his  muse,  never  before  in  print : — 

THE  FOUNDLING. 

When  sick  or  wae,  the  puir  man's  wean 

Kens  that  a  mither's  smile  is  sweet. 
The  joyless  orphan  left  alane, 

Aboon  a  father's  grave  can  greet ; 
Sic  bless  alake  is  no  for  me. 

For  ne'er  has't  been  my  lot  to  prove 
How  sweet's  the  blink  o'  mither's  e'e. 

How  warm  the  glow  o'  father's  love. 

My  birth-night  saw  me  at  yon  door, 

The  cauld,  cauld  yird  my  cradle's  place, 
And  Winter's  snaws  were  drift  in  o'er, 

My  sichtless  e'en  an  tender  fiice  ; 
December's  blasts  were  blawin  chill, 

An  cauld  an  nippin  was  the  air — 
The  mither's  heart  was  caulder  still, 

That  laid  her  sinless  baby  there. 

The  han'  that  fed  and  cled  was  kin'. 

An  aye  sail  be  richt  dear  to  me. 
But  warmer  luve  I  fain  wad  ken, 

Than  warmest  gratitude  can  be ; 
A  mither's  luve  I  fain  wad  share, 

For  oh  !  this  heart  to  love  was  made — 
Wad  hear  a  father's  e'enin  prayer, 

Ca'  Heaven's  blessins  on  my  head. 

When  join'd  wi'  younkers  in  their  play, 

I  whiles  forget  a  mither's  wrang. 
But  when  the  weet  or  closin'  day. 

Gars  ilka  playmate  hameward  gang  ; 


GOW  GOW  237 

O !  then  I  fin  my  bosom  swell, 

Wi'  feelings  that  it  lang  has  nurst, 
And  yearn  a  parent's  love  to  feel, 

TiU  whiles  I  think  my  heart  will  burst. 

When  seated  by  the  ingle  side, 

Some  neighbour's  blythsome  weans  I  see, 
While  luiks  that  speak  a  father's  pride. 

Are  beamin  frae  their  father's  e  e ; 
I  strive  to  chock  the  burstin  sigh. 

And  dicht  awa  the  bumin  tear. 
Syne  luik  upon  yon  gouden  sky. 

An  houp  I  hae  a'  Hither  there. 

Mr.  Goldie  has  a  half  brother,  a  sailor,  now  settled  in  South 
America,  who  seems,  by  what  I  have  seen  of  his  MSS.,  to 
have  very  much  of  the  rustic  poet  about  him,  and  as  he 
is  strikingly  original,  I  cannot  refrain  from  giving  a  few 
verses  also  of  his — 

•*  A  tar  I  am,  proud  o*  the  name, 

"  And  a  head  fii'  hie  can  carry  O  ! 
"I've  conquering  fought,  and  will  again, 

**  Or  I  loss  my  Charming  Mary  O  !  " 

"I've  cross'd  the  wide  Atlantic  sea, 

**  And  been  in  regions  dreary  O  ! 
"  But  a  bonnier  lass  I  never  saw, 

**  Than  my  lovely  Iru-ine  Mary  O  !  " 

Again,  behold  the  man  of  genius  in  another  strain. 

"  I  left  Paisley  about  i  p.m.  with  my  little  frigate  in 
tow, — stood  through  the  moor, — reached  Neilston  at  half 
past  two, — the  weather  squally,  with  some  rain.  Brought 
to,  at  the  Black  Bull,  got  some  grog  for  myself  and 
storeships ;  breeze  freshens;  fell  in  with  a  strange  sail,  on 
the  homeward-bound  passage ;  stood  on  for  Stewarton, 
under  a  press  of  canvas,  wind  S.S.W.,  took  a  ship  in 
distress  in  tow;  ran  on  for  Killmaur  fore  land,  parted 
convoy,  dropped  anchor  with  my  girl  for  the  night,  though 
still  in  good  sailing  trim." 

But  my  favourite  piece  of  this  poet's  is  his  "  Elegy  on 
Robbin  Smith,"  a  wandering  botanist;  here  his  rusticity. 


238  GOW GOW 

indeed,   refreshes   me;    the  following  verses  are  a  speci- 
men : — 

Mourn,  mourn,  ilk  svmpatheezing  frien. 
Let  sorrow's  tears  fa  frae  your  e^n, 
The  queerest  shaver  e*er  was  seen, 

1*11  tak  my  aith  ; 
Lies  in  below  that  sod  sae  green. 

Poor  Robbin  Smith. 


ITie  hauf  o*  terra  firma  owre. 

He  trod  in  quest  o*  yirb  and  flower. 

Through  ilka  glen  and  wud  he'd  cour. 

And  by-way  path  ; 
But  death  at  last  led  to  his  bower 

Poor  Robbin  Smith. 


Whan  father  Addie  was  the  laird, 
O*  Eden's  ance  delightfu'  yard. 
He  delved  awa — and  never  cared. 

Nor  dreaded  skaith  ; 
Weel,  every  plant  that  e'er  he  rear'd, 

Kend  Robbin  Smith. 


He  wi*  great  skill  too,  cud  explain. 

What  brought  the  snaw,  and  what  the  rain, 

The  sun,  and  moon  too,  he  made  plain. 

War  warls  baith  ; 
Our  ancient  dads  war  a'  mistaen. 

Quoth  Robbin  Smith. 


'Bout  every  fish,  and  every  shell. 
In  sea,  or  river,  he  cud  tell. 
E'en  frae  a  beardoc  to  a  whale ; 

Nor  was  he  laith, 
To  learn  puir  doaflies  like  mysell. 

Kind  Robbin  Smith. 


The  mawbag  o'  a  butterflee, 

Weel  dried  and  stuff 'd,  ahame  had  he. 

The  baw  too,  o'  a  midges  e'e, 

Its  dirk  and  sheath  ; 
Wi'  belts  o'  mony  a  queer  bumbee 

Had  Robbin  Smith. 


And  strings  on  strings  o'  seddar's  eggs, 
Wi'  mony  a  creature  stuck  on  pegs. 
The  skin  o'  beetles,  flees,  and  clegs, 

Blawn  up  wi'  pith  ; 
But  hoh  anee  I  dung  af  his  legs, 

Is  Robbin  Smith. 


GOW  GOVV  239 

The  roons  had  he  o*  Eve*s  first  sark, 
A  snuff  box  made  o*  Noah's  Ark, 
The  stane  king  Davie  did  the  wark, 

O'  Gulliea  Gath  ; 
The  knife  too,  whilk  slew  Mungo  Park, 

Had  Robbin  Smith. 

Amang  the  lassies  whiles  he  ran, 

And  gard  them  sometimes  coup  the  cran, 

Forgie  ye  hizzies  gif  ye  can. 

He's  tint  his  breath  ; 
]\ist/rai/fy  like  anither  man, 

Was  Robbin  Smith. 

Ye  bretheren  o*  the  rake  and  dibble, 
O  !  let  your  e'en  a  twalmonth  dribble, 
Weel  may  ye  greet  and  yum  and  bibble. 

And  flee  in  wrath 
At  death  for  withering  like  a  stibble, 

Puir  Robbin  Smith,  &c.,  &c. 

Such  a  Poem  is  not  amiss  ;  I  am  in  love  with  the  Poet,  and 
intend,  some  day  or  other,  to  publish  his  works,  which  I 
have  beside  me ;  I  am  going  to  write  to  him,  in  America ; 
such  a  genius  should  not  be  kicked  to  a  comer. 

Gowk-spittles  —  A  white  frothy  matter,  common  on  the 
leaves  of  plants  about  the  latter  end  of  the  summer,  and 
beginning  of  autumn  ;  in  the  interior  of  these  spittles,  a  little 
insect  is  always  found,  some  say  a  young  c/eg,  or  gad-fly,  and 
that  it  lives  on  this  froth  until  it  be  strong  enough  to  hop 
elsewhere  ;  these  spittles  are  said  to  be  the  gowks  or  cuckow's, 
as  at  that  season  they  are  in  the  greatest  plenty ;  this  bird 
gets  hoarse,  or  seems,  by  its  voice,  to  have  a  clocher  or 
spittle  in  its  throat,  ready  to  void;  but  the  truth  is,  this 
matter  is  the  production  of  some  insect,  and  perhaps  for  the 
purpose  already  spoken  of. 

GowL — A  sharp  howl. 

GowPEN — The  cavity  two  hands  can  make  when  their  sides 
are  laid  together ;  or  the  quantity  of  anything  that  cavity 
can  hold  :  the  double  of  a  "  nei/t^J' 

GowsTED — Boasted. 


240  GRA  GRA 

Grabs — Little  prizes. 

Gramashes — Overall  hoze,  to  ride  with. 

Grannie — Grandmother.  These  old  women  are  always  fond 
of  giving  advices  to  the  rising  generation  ;  what  follows,  is  a 
specimen  of  this  : — 

Howt's  Bauldy  my  boy,  ye're  gaun  a*  to  devil, 

But  harken  your  grannie  a  minute  or  twa, 
Puir  body,  she  wishes  ye*d  learn  to  be  civil. 

And  no  fling  your  health  and  your  sillxu*  awa. 

This  rinning  at  night,  Bauldy,  which  ye  delight  in, 

And  baiming  the  hizzies  wharever  ye  gang. 
Is  vile  wark  I  true,  and  weel  worthy  the  righting. 

Believe  me  ye  waur  yoursell  unco  far  wrang. 

Come  marry  thy  Maggie  wha  liv'd  wi*  the  Millar, 
And  sifted  the  meal  that  was  grun  at  the  mill, 

Wi'  her  ye'll  fine  pleasure  in  wauring  your  sillar. 
And  get,  man,  o'  a  war'ly  comforts  thy  filL 

Than  I  shall  bequeeth  thee  my  five  hunner  marks  man 

And  gie  thee  a  shielling  to  bid  in  and  a\ 
She'll  mak  a'  thy  claise,  and  synn  a'  thy  sarks  man, 

For  thou  canna  do,  but  a  wifhe  ava. 

Grannie  Moil — A  very  old,  flattering,  false  woman. 

Grassmeal — The  grass  that  will  keep  a  cow  for  a  season. 

Grassnail — A  long  piece  of  hooked  iron,  which  has  one  end 
fixed  to  the  blade  of  a  scythe,  and  the  other  to  the  scythe's 
handle ;  so  that  (as  mowers  say),  "  her  runt  may  sleep 
steady  i'  the  ^fen" 

Graulse — A  young  salmon. 

Gray  Beardie — ^A  bottle  of  the  larger  class,  made  of 
earthenware ;  it  is  made  to  hold  generally  about  three 
gallons,  but  whiles  they  have  double  lugs,  and  hold  a  much 
larger  quantity ;  the  w husky  pig,  in  farm  houses,  is  a  pig 
of  this  kind  :  "  hae  ye  ought  i*  the  pig  the  day  ? "  is  a  com- 
mon salutation,  when  friendly  neighbours  meet  at  others 
houses ;  and  although  whisky  be  not  mentioned,  it  is  well 
understood  to  be  the  thing  wanted;  answers  to  salute  are 


GRA  GRI  241 

various,  such  as,  "  I  dare  say  there  is  a  dreeping" — "  Ay, 
I  heard  the  gude  wife  say  it  could  pinkie  pankle^^  &c 

Gray-heads — Heads  of  gray-coloured  oats,  growing  among 
others  that  are  not 

Gray  Stanes — Here  and  there,  over  all  the  face  of  the 
country,  round  gray  stones  make  their  appearance;  there 
are  two  things  which  strike  us  strongly  on  looking  at  this 
scene,  "  what  brought  them  there,"  and  "  what  made  them  of 
a  globular  form ; "  that  cause  which  brought  them  to  their 
present  situations,  also,  has  been  the  cause  of  rounding 
them ;  it  is  evident  from  these  stanes  alone,  that  some  awful 
revolution  has  taken  place  at  some  distant  period,  on  the 
earth,  and  this  revolution  has  been  a  tremendous  flood  of 
water. 

Greddon — The  remains  of  fuel,  the  sweeping  out  of  the 
peatclaig  ;  the  same  with  cooin^  almost,  only  the  first  brings 
the  idea,  that  stones  and  earth  are  among  the  remains, 
the  second  not. 

Green  Linty — The  green  linnet.  This  is  a  beautiful  bird, 
easily  tamed,  but  it  can  sing  none. 

Greeshochs — Fires  of  embers ;  a  greeshoch  is  much  the  same 
with  glecd  and  gloss. 

Grier  o'  Lagg — Grierson,  laird  of  Lagg,  in  the  parish  of  Dun- 
score  I  believe,  anciently,  the  infamous  persecutor  of  the 
stem  and  worthy  covenanters,  the  accomplice  of  the  base 
Claverhouse,  and  one  of  the  most  infernal  villains  Scotland 
ever  gave  birth  to ;  not  a  church-yard  do  we  go  into  through- 
out all  the  land  of  Galloway,  but  we  meet  with  stones,  perhaps 
cleared  of  their  fog  by  Auld  Mortality ^  testimonies  to  the  in- 
human fact ;  there  we  think  we  hear  the  poor  martyrs  speak- 
ing from  their  graves,  and  informing  us  how  they  were 
butchered  by  the  bloody  Grier  d  Lagg ;  the  heart  melts  with 
the  detail  of  their  fate,  and  we  feel  ready  to  revenge  the 


242  GRI GRl 

cause,  were  that  not  done  for  us  already ;  even  on  our  wild 

moors,  and  in  our  dark  glens,  we  trace  the  fell  tract  of  the 

savage.     The  tower  yet  remains  in  a  partly  ruined  state, 

where  he  lived  when  at  home,  it  is  a  small  square  keep  full  of 

loop-holes ;  when  the  venerable  old  man,  J^ohn  Bell,  of  IVhiU- 

side,  begged  of  Grierson  a  little  while  to  pray,  before  he  was 

shot,   the  murderer  replied — "WTiat,  devil,   have  ye  been 

doing,  have  ye  not  prayed  enough  these  many  years  in  the 

hills  ?'*  was  there  ever  a  colder,  and  more  unholy  expression? 

Poor  John  was  slain  in  the  parish  of  Tongueland,  February, 

1685.    ."Robert  Grierson,  of  Lagghall,  was  a  persecutor  for 

upwards  of  ten  years,  and  though  excommunicated  for  being 

an  adulterer,  and  every  thing  bad,  impertinently  obstinate  he 

keeped  still  being  Justice  of  the  Peace."   When  he  was  dying, 

tradition  says,  that  he  made  a  wish  to  have  his  feet  bathed  in 

cold  water,  but  the  moment  they  were  immersed,  they  made 

it  fizZy  and  boil  wi^  hellish  heat ;  indeed,  to  this  day,  the 

horrid  word  hell,  is  ever  coupled  with  his  name  ;  the  country 

people  say  sometimes,  when  enforcing  a  fact,  "  that  they  are 

as  sure  such  and  such  is  the  case,  as  they  are  of  the  laird  0* 

Lagg's  being  in  hell,"  and  about  the  time  of  his  death,  which 

happened   in    1700,   a  ship  at  sea  met    with    a   singular 

sail,  a  chariot  dra^n  by  six  horses,  and  conducted  by  three 

drivers,  all  of  the  Pandemonium  stamp,  coming  plunging 

and  snoring  over  the  wild  waves,  attended  by  black  clouds, 

vomiting  forth  thunder  and  lightning.     The  sailors  hailed, 

7uhere  bound,  when  the  answer  received  was,  from  Hell  to 

Colinn,    This  was  the  vehicle  sent  to  bring  Lagg  to  the  land 

of  Demons. 

When  his  bodily  remains  were  a  taking  to  the  kirkyard 
for  burial,  the  horses  employed  in  that  service  seemed  to 
be  much  fatigued,  and  at  a  certain  place  on  the  road  they 
stuck  up  altogether,  could  go  no  farther,  and  appeared 
ready  to  perish  ;  a  gentleman  present  sent  home  for  four 
of  the  strongest  horses  in  his  stud,  yoked  them  in  to  the 


GRI GUD  243 

dead  carr,  they  drew  it,  indeed,  to  the  place  required, 
but  the  poor  animals  were  so  forfoughten  out  with  the 
job,  that  they  could  do  nothing  afterwards  while  they 
lived; — so  much  then,  for  Grier  0*  Lagg ;  those  wishing 
to  know  more  of  him,  may  consult  the  Cloud  of  Witnesses^ 
a  good  book,  and  those  bunches  of  tales  in  prose  and  rhyme, 
which  help  to  bound  out  the  wallet  of  every  ballad  hawker 
in  Scotland.  * 

Grinning  Hares — The  devilish  art  of  setting  gins  in  holes  of 
dykes,  or  on  walks,  to  hang  hares ;  this  is  the  meanest  way 
of  all  poaching,  there  is  no  sport  with  it,  being  purely  for 
gain,  and  truly  savage. 

Grist  —  The  texture  of  yams;  also,  a  miller's  fee  for 
grinding.  The  phrase,  "  he  has  got  anither  grist  to  his  mill 
now,"  means,  he  has  got  another  way  of  making  a  liveli- 
hood. 

Groozle — To  breathe  uneasily. 

Grouf — To  sleep  restlessly. 

Grue^ — To  nauseate. 

Gruesome — Frightful,  but  that  kind  of  fright  which  brings  on 
vomiting. 

Gruff — A  short,  thick,  well-dressed  man. 

Grulch— A  fat  child. 

Grull — A  stone  bruised  to  dust 

Grullion — A  mixture  of  various  food ;  a  hotch  podge. 

Grun — Ground,  a  farm ;  also,  any  thing  grinded. 

Gruns — Sediment  of  any  liquid  matter. 

Grupping — A  disorder  amongst  sheep ;  it  grips  them  in  the 
neck,  as  it  were,  rendering  them  unfit  to  turn  their  head  but 
one  way. 

Grushie — Fat,  flabby,  &c. 

GuDDLE — To  botch  with  a  knife,  to  cut  rudely. 


244  GUD  GUI) 

GuDE  Father — Father-in-law. 
(JuDE  MiTHER — Good  mothei. 
(iuDE  Man — The  master  of  the  house. 

The  Gallovidian  way  of  the  old  Scotch  Song, 

THERE'S  NAE  LUCK  ABOUT  THE  HOUSE. 

Thfr^s  nae  luck  about  tfu  hause^ 

There's  nac  luck  ava^ 
IVhat  luck  can  be  about  the  house, 

IVhen  otir  gude  tnaiCs  awa  ? — Chorus. 

There's  no  an  hour  in  a'  the  day, 

But  something  gaes  athraw, 
The  servants  a'  arc  masters  grown, 

And  nought  is  done  ava  ; 
The  cauves  brak  through  the  milking  slap, 

Their  minnies'  pawps  they  draw. 
The  de'il  a  kebbuck  now  I  get, 

Or  ought  tae  kirn  axu — 

There's  nac  hick,  &c. 

The  tinklers  they  come  up  the  gate, 

To  thieve  and  gie  ill  jaw. 
Whan  there's  no  a  Ixxly  i'  the  house, 

To  fley  the  de'ils  awa  ; 
The  sheep  grow  mawket  on  the  hill. 

And  sair  themsells  they  claw, 
And  whan  their  hips  are  no  laid  Ijarc, 

\Vi'  faith  they  dec  awa — 

There's  nac  luck,  &c. 

The  baimies  winna  gang  tae  school, 

lliey  trone  it  ane  and  a'. 
What  care  they  for  the  Dominie, 

W^han  our  gude  man's  awa  ? 
The  drovers  they  come  smackin  roun, 

And  'bout  their  stots  they  bla. 
But  what  ken  I  alx)ut  yell  nowt, 

Whan  our  gude  man's  awa  ? — 

There's  nae  luck,  t\:c. 

The  tod  comes  scoolin'  frae  the  cleuch, 

And  snaps  the  laggies  a'. 
For  the  terriers  they  winna  hunt. 

Whan  our  gude  man's  awa  ; 
The  fire  claucht  the  raunle  tree, 

And  brunt  the  lum  and  a', 
For  what  had  1  to  sloken  them, 

W^han  Archie  was  awa  ? — 

There's  nae  luck,  &c. 


GUL GUN  245 

O  !  gin  he  war  back  again, 

'Twill  be  a  month  or  twa, 
Or  his  dear  spouse  will  condescend, 

To  let  him  gang  awa  ; 
For  there's  nae  luck  about  the  house, 

There's  nae  luck  ava, 
Na  the  fynt  a  luck's  about  the  house, 

Whan  our  gtaU  man*s  awa — 

O,  there's  no  luck,  &c. 

GuLDER — To  rave  like  a  domineer,  or  angry  turkey  cock  ;  to 
tyrannize. 

GuLDiE — A  tall,  black  faced,  gloomy  looking  man. 

GuLLiON — A  stinking,  rotten  marsh. 

Gumption — Wisdom,  genius,  &c. 

GuMPiNG — A  piece  cut  off  the  giimp,  or  whole  of  any  thing ; 
when  a  banwun  of  reapers  are  kemping  up  a  !an\  the  weak  of 
course  fall  behind  the  stronger,  and  when  a  shift  d  n'ggs 
takes  place,  those  forward  cut  through  their  weak  neighbours 
riggy  behind,  duly  opposite  the  place  they  left  their  own, 
so  leave  a  part  of  that  rigg  uncut,  between  them  and 
the  weak  reaper ;  this  piece  is  called  the  gumping.  Two 
crannies y  or  a  lad  and  lass  in  love,  never  cut  the  gumping 
on  one  another,  the  cause  for  why,  needs  no  explana- 
tion. 

GuNPOWTHER — A  well  known  combustible  matter,  pro- 
perly named  gunpowder;  an  original  poem  I  give  here 
respecting  it,  which  my  readers  may  relish  as  they  think 
proper : 

Gunpowther,  thou's  a  won'erous  thing, 

Weelwordy  that  a  bard  should  sing, 

A  sturdy  sang  on  thee  ; 

Some  bard  o*  genius  pang'd  wi'  might, 

Weel  up  to  art  and  nature's  slight, 

And  no  a  gow  like  me. 

For  true  it  is  the  haums  o'  man, 

Hae  ne'er  made  ought  to  match  ye. 

As  a  strong  tool,  for  death's  snell  han', 

Damnation  wha  did  hatch  thee — 

In  hell  man,  lie  still  man. 
We  dinna  want  your  name, 
Gae  row  there,  i'e  lowc  there, 
Infernal  is  thy  fame. 


246  GUN GUN 

For  you  to  sit  and  plot  wi'  death, 
How  best  to  tak  your  brither's  breath. 

What  sin  was  ought  like  this  ; 
Auld  Shanks  was  fit  enough  himsell, 
For  forming  plots  to  nip  us  snell, 

Thout  adding  your's  to  his — 
Your  stour  combustible  and  quick, 
The  sad  black  chymic  nitre, 
Made  frae  the  hauf  brunt  shunner  stick. 
The  sulphur  and  sautpetre — 

Invention — to  mention. 
It  gars  the  flesh  to  grue, 
For,  o  !  man,  what  foe  man, 
To  us  has  been  like  you. 


Tlie  ancient  arrows,  darts,  and  slings. 
To  muskets  be  but  harmless  things, 

And  cannon  fu*  o'  grape  ; 
Af  nae  brass  shields  the  balls  will  bounce, 
They  come  wi'  a  determined  whunce, 

E'in  on  their  course  they  shaix:. 
Through  beef  and  bane,  and  wud  and  stane. 
Without  a  howst  they  whunner. 
While  roun*  the  air  dis  rift  and  granc, 
Wi*  artiflcial  thunner — 

The  auld  wars — war  bauld  wars. 
Whan  man  wi'  man  cud  fight. 
But  now  faith,  we  vow  faith, 
'Tis  murder  a'  downright. 


For  now  a  feckless  wabstcr  chap. 

Or  far  spent  blackguard  wi'  the  clap. 

Can  bravely  draw  the  tricker  : 

And  reel  a  fae  down  on  the  fiel'. 

As  fast's  a  strong-baned  raekless  cheel. 

And  some  will  say  e'en  quicker. 

Sae  scalbert  bodies  limping  spruce. 

And  scurrs  belike  the  gallows. 

Suit  war  as  weel  as  Kobbin  Bruce, 

Or  glorious  Wullie  Wallace- 
No  w  Strang  men — and  hangmen, 
And  dukes  are  a*  the  same, 
A  wight  now,  o'  might  now, 
By  powther  gains  nae  fame. 


And  now  the  castles  ane  and  a'. 
Our  fathers  thought  wad  never  fa' 

In  junrells  are  dung  down  ; 
'Twas  powther  caused  them  first  to  wag. 
As  they  sat  on  the  towering  craig, 

And  glowered  a'  aroun'. 


GUN  GUN  247 

Mons  Maggie's  balls  are  battering  rams 
Which  hae  the  hardy  crooms, 
They  dunch  down  strengths  like  wiggiewams, 
And  homie  wa*s  roun  towns — 

They  crash  them,  they  smash  them. 
And  gar  their  gates  to  flee, 
While  roareth,  and  snoreth, 
The  mad  artilliree. 


E'en  on  the  sea  as  at  the  Nile, 

Whan  Nelson  grool'd  the  French  in  stile, 

Gunpowther  shaw'd  its  might  ; 
There  blazing  to  the  skies  it  sent, 
The  Franks'  chief  boat  La  Orient, 

To  light  the  fleysome  night. 
At  Gibraltar  too,  we  may 
Gie  it  a  puff  o*  flattery. 
Whan  Elliot  het  balls  did  play, 
On  Spanish  floating  l)altery — 

What  burning,  and  yurning, 
And  blawing  up  was  there  ; 
What  whi/zing,  and  bizzing, 
O'  red  shcit  every  where. 


But  whar  Black  Smeildum  best  ye  shine. 
Is  in  the  dark  and  dreary  mine, 

*Mang  orie  ciaigs  fu*  yell ; 
For  sad  ye  in  a  jumper  bore, 
'l"he  stratas  stiff  by  you  are  tore. 

That  laugh 'd  at  wadge  and  mell. 
Ye  rive  up  Swetlcn's  hard  aim  wyme. 
And  gars  her  trollies  flee. 
The  clints  we  stew  to  gie  us  lime. 
By  you  too  raised  be — 

Thou's  ne'er  laith,  to  do  l)aith, 
The  what  is  gude  and  ill, 
Ye  howk  whiles,  ye  choke  whiles, 
Ye  quarry,  and  can  kill. 

Ablins  that  cheel  wha  did  ye  fin, 
That  gouty  Chinese  Mandarin, 

Or  though ty  Jesuit ; 
Invented  thee  for  doing  gude. 
And  no  for  shedding  human  blude. 

The  job  ye  sae  wcel  hit. 
Gif  sic  was  the  slee  bodie's  plan, 
He's  weel  deserving  praise, 
And  fame  may  hie  exalt  the  man. 
Her  tooting  horn  gae  raise — 

Nae  duel,  fu'  cruel. 
Perhaps  did  cross  his  brain. 
Nor  battles,  that  brattles, 
Klude  sumping  mony  a  plain. 


248  GUN GUN 

Whan  men  war  huflPd  wi'  crabbit  words. 
They  anciently  drew  out  their  swords, 

Sharp  gleamers  frae  Toledo ; 
And  flecg'd  at  either  dreigh  and  lang, 
Till  scuUs  and  shields  fu'  wildly  rang. 

And  thumbs  and  knuckles  bled  O  ! 
A  gash  wi*  them  was  but  a  scart, 
It  only  mair  did  warm  them, 
For  blude  they  didna  care  a  f — t, 
A  wee  thing  didna  harm  them — 

Nae  fleeching,  but  bleaching, 
And  skelping  on  at  will, 
Was  seen  than  on  green  than, 
Fair  play  attending  still. 


But  now  a  fiittie  l)anker's  dark, 
A  flonkie  ance  wi*  ruffl'd  sark. 

Or  hauf  pay  idle  sodger  ; 
Will  mak  a  flash,  and  tak  the  pen. 
And  gab  *bout  honourable  men. 

To  raise  some  honest  codger. 
Till  nought  will  please  but  pistols  for't, 
It*s  fit  to  gar  ane  scanner, 
The  worthy  man  is  shot  in  sport, 
For  what's  ca'd  wounded  honour — 

Nae  neive  now  maun  deave  now. 
The  gentrie's  ill  faurd  din, 
Nae  stick  now  maun  lick  now, 
The  yeucky  yallow  skin. 


Hech,  nature's  laws  are  laughen  at, 
(junpowther  thou*s  the  cause  o*  that, 

Thou  ticklish  de'il  uncanny  ; 
Had  thou  been  kend  in  days  o*  yore, 
Whan  eastern  blackguards  fought  and  swore, 

Like  Macedonian  Sawny. 
And  that  rough  handled  Csesar  chap, 
Wi*  nameless  rascals  mony, 
Wha  pranc'd  about  through  blude  and  lap. 
Like  our  de'il,  Modem  Bonny — 

Our  Ian*  now,  o'  man  now, 
Wad  had  few  stocks  ava, 
Sic  weeders,  few  breaders, 
Wad  here  been  left  to  craw. 


Fell  fae  to  life,  and  love  sae  sweet, 
Ye  gar  baith  bairns  and  mithers  greet, 

Sae  fu*  o'  wae's  thy  tale  ; 
E'en  beasts  and  burds,  on  Ian  and  sea, 
Sair  dread  the  savage  might  o*  thee, 

As  Fuss  and  Whaup  and  Wale. 


OUR  HAB  249 

The  supple  shank,  the  wing,  the  fin. 

Are  racers  no  thy  match, 

For  like  the  flares  o'  light  ye  rin, 

And  deadly  aft  ye  catch — 

Sae  now  than,  adieu  than, 
About  ye  Til  nae  mair, 
Gae  string  than,  or  sing  than, 
For  my  saul  wi'  ye's  sair. 

GuRLiE — Blustery,  given  to  squalls. 

GuRNEL — A  strange  shaped,  thick  man;  also,  a  fisherman's 
implement,  used  ih  inserting  "  stobs^'  or  stakes  in  the  sand, 
to  spread  nets  on. 

GuTCHER — Grandfather. 

Gutter-hole — The  place  where  all  filth  is  flung  out  of  the 
kitchen  to. 

GuTTRELLS — Young  fat  swine. 

Gutty — A  big-bellied  person. 

Gyte — Deranged,  simply. 

Gyzent — Shrunk  with  the  sun's  rays ;  drinkers  say  of  them- 
selves, whiles  that  they  are  gyzent^  when  they  have  not  been 
drinking  for  some  time. 


H 


Ha'— Hall. 

Habbersack — A  bread  bag,  French  haversack. 

Habble — To  hobble,  to  walk  lamely. 

Habbocraws — A  shout  the  peasants  give  to  frighten  the  crows 
of  the  com  fields,  throwing  up  their  bonnets  or  hats  at  the 
same  time.  A  person  once  fell  a  sleeping  and  snoring  in 
a  church,  the  priest  being  a  dull  orator;  when  the  psalm 
began  to  be  sung,  he  believed  himself  amongst  the  rooks, 
and  started  up,  roaring  with  outspread  arms,  habbocrcm%  to 
the  astonishment  of  the  holy  congregation. 


250  HAC  HAG 

Hacked — Rough,  cracked,  &c. 

Hacks — Rocky,  mossy,  black  wilds. 

Hacks  o'  Anwoth  —  A  very  wild  moorish  place,  in  that 
parish  of  Anwoth, 

Hackston — An  old  Borgue  bard,  he  had  a  vein  for  rhyme ; 
some  say  but  a  small  vein  ;  he  once  wrote  to  the  king,  to 
know  if  he  would  have  him  be  laureate,  subscribing  him- 
self poet  and  private  English  teacher^  parish  of  Borgue  ; 
what  a  valuable  curiosity  would  this  address  to  royalty  be  ; 
Oh  !  for  a  copy,  but  alas,  I  am  afraid  it  is  lost  for  ever. 
His  song  of  Paul  Jones  is  tolerable,  and  is  not  yet  forgot  by 
some : — 

**  She  came  from  Flambro'  Head, 

*'  Did  she  not,  did  she  not, 
**  She  was  a  ship  o*  dread, 

**  Was  she  not,  was  she  not,"  &c. 

Blairy  the  queer  laird  of  Senwick,  was  wont  to  have  some 
fun  with  him,  when  a  party  of  gentlemen  was  with  the 
singular  landlord,  Hackston^  the  poet  (who  was  commonly 
about  the  house)  was  allowed  to  come  amongst  the 
company  ;  then  whisky  would  be  given  him,  a  thing  he  was 
always  very  fond  of,  and  so  when  they  had  him  half  drunk, 
they  diverted  themselves  at  the  poor  poet's  expence ; 
once  they  got  a  sword,  and  made  the  poor  wretch  believe 
he  was  about  to  be  run  through  with  it,  but  ere  this  was 
done  they  would  grease  the  blade,  so  that  it  might  transfix 
him  a  sleeker  manner ;  it  is  needless  to  sketch  the  auld  wight 
farther. 

Haffers — Sharing  half  in  anything. 

Hafflins — Half-ways. 

Haffmanor — Having  land  in  partnership,  between  t^vo. 

Hafi'Ed — Animals  are  said  to  be  hafted,  when  they  live  con- 
tented on  strange  pastures,  when  they  have  made  a  haunt. 

Hag — To  hew. 


HAG HAL  251 

Hagelcxj — A  clog  of  wood  to  hew  on. 

Hags — Rocky,  moor  ground ;  the  same  with  Hacks, 

Hag-yard — A  stack-yard.  The  phrase,  ^^ clear  the  hagy"  means, 
clear  all  out  of  the  way. 

Hainching — Throwing,  by  springing  the  arm  on  the  haunch. 

Hair — A  small  quantity  of  any  thing. 

Haivers — Foolish  chat ;  idle  conversation. 

Haiveralls — Fools,  who  talk  Haivers. 

Hallans — Mid-walls  through  cottages,  composed  of  cross  bars, 
and  overlaid  with  straw  plastered  with  clay,  called  cat  day ; 
also,  those  abutments  or  batteries,  built  against  weak  walls  to 
keep  them  from  falling,  are  termed  hallans, 

Hallicket — Fools.  Thoughtless,  restless  beings,  who  cannot 
haul ;  who  must  be  running  every  where,  and  talking  a  great 
deal  on  subjects  they  know  nothing  about 

Hallion — A  blackguard. 

Hallow-een  —  Hallow-eve,  or  eve  of  All  Saints.  Before 
the  incomparable  Bums  brought  the  superstitious  ob- 
servances of  this  night  into  ridicule,  it  was  a  wonderful 
one  all  over  Scotland;  and  even  yet,  though  superstition 
be  laid  aside,  it  is  a  night  much  attended  to,  and  full  of 
frolics ;  thus  a  large  deep  tub  is  filled  with  water,  in 
which  is  put  a  large  apple,  so  the  rustics  strip  off  their 
upper  garments,  and  try  to  catch  it  with  their  teeth;  this 
they  find  impossible  to  do,  while  it  swims  on  the  surface, 
so  they  dive  down  with  it  under  the  mouth,  and  when  it 
strikes  the  bottom,  they  dart  their  tusks  in,  and  so  tri- 
umphantly brings  it  up. 

A  candle,  and  apple  too,  are  hung  both  by  one  string,  at 
one  place ;  to  have  a  bite  of  this,  without  burning  the  face, 
creates  much  fun. 

Then  songs  are  sung,  and  whisky  goes  round,  which 
are    cheering    things,  and  if  attended  by  a  fiddle,   much 


252  HAL  HAN 

more  so.  I  have  been  speaking  with  respect  to  the  way 
the  lower  classes  now  observe  it;  the  higher  again  meet 
in  large  parties  together,  play  cards,  feast,  drink, 
(lance,  &c 

But  I  must  own  there  is  nothing  so  poetical  now  about 
the  matter,  as  was  in  the  days  d  long  syne.  "When  biue- 
clues,  fair  water  and  foul,  eating  apples  at  glasses,  washing 
sark-sleeves  at  rare  bunis^  pulling  kailnmts^  &c  went  for- 
ward." I  have  seen  the  old  plan  tried  too,  but  superstition 
cannot  be  mimicated. 

Hallyoch — A  term  used  to  express  that  strange  gabbling  noise 
people  make,  who  are  talking  in  a  language  we  do  not  under- 
stand. Thus,  a  club  of  Manxmen  together  are  said  to  haud 
an  unco  gabbie  labbie  d  a  hallyoch  wV  ither. 

Hammer,  Block,  and  Study — A  school  game.  A  fellow  lies 
on  all  fours,  this  is  the  block;  one  steadies  him  before,  this  is 
the  study ;  a  third  is  made  a  "  hammer "  of,  and  swung  by 
boys,  against  the  block  ;  it  is  a  rude  game. 

Hampers — Large  baskets,  carried  on  the  backs  of  asses. 
Hanbarrow — A  spoked  barrow,  carried  by  the  hands. 

Hanbeast — The  horse  a  ploughman  directs  with  the  left 
hand. 

Hanch — To  eat  like  a  swine. 

Hannie — Handy. 

Han  owre  Head — A  phrase,  signifying  "choosing  with- 
out selecting ; "  thus,  in  large  droves  of  cattle,  there  are 
some  fat  and  others  lean.  Drovers,  in  purchasing  these, 
will  sometimes  take  the  good,  and  leave  the  bad,  this  is 
called  sJwoting;  others  will  take  the  lot  as  it  is,  this  is 
buying  them  hand  owre  head;  both  plans  are  ruled  by 
the  way  the  bargain  is  made;  to  leave  shotts  and  have 
all  good,  the  price  for  each  will  be  larger,  of  course,  than 
taking  them  at  random. 


HAN  HAP  253 

Hand-reel — An  old  reel  or  machine,  used  for  winding  and 
numbering  the  hanks  of  yam ;  while  winding,  the  auld 
wives  counted  thus  : — "  There's  ane^  and  there's  no  ane^  and 
there's  arte  a*  out" 

Hansle — A  morning  lunch. 

Hantle — A  quantity  of  anything,  and  it  may  either  mean 
a  large  or  a  small  quantity,  there  being  no  limitation  to  the 
term ;  "  he  has  a  Iiantie  o'  yon  sillar  dune  now  "  means,  that 
a  good  sum  of  the  money  is  spent,  but  how  much  or  how 
little  it  does  not  detennine.  An  English  woodcutter  was 
assisting  once  to  hew  down  a  Gallovidian  forest,  when  a 
native  came  up  to  him  and  said,  "  he  had  a  hantle  o*  that 
timmer  down  now."  The  Englishman  stood  mute,  and  the 
traveller,  thinking  him  sullen,  passed  on ;  the  other  bucherans 
observing  this,  gathered  round  their  fellow,  and  began  to 
quiz  him  about  not  answering  the  man  ;  "  I  knew  (said  our 
hero  of  the  hatchet)  well  enough  what  the  fellow  said,  but 
how  could  I  answer  him  ?  If  he  had  told  me  how  many 
acres  of  wood  he  mean'd  by  a  hantle^  then  I  might  have 
been  able  to  give  him  some  satisfaction." 

Happ — To  cover  :  also  a  cover. 

Hapshackled — An  horse  is  said  to  be  so  when  an  hind 
and  fore  foot  are  confined  by  a  rope  fixed  to  them  ;  this 
is  to  hinder  them  to  "  hop  "  or  leap. 

Hap,  step,  and  Jump — A  way  of  taking  three  leaps — first  hop, 
then  step,  and  again  leap. 

Hap  the  Beds — A  singular  game  gone  through  by  hopping 
on  one  foot,  and  with  that  foot  sliding  a  little  flat  stone  out 
of  an  oblong  bed,  rudely  drawn  on  a  smooth  piece  of  ground  ; 
this  bed  is  divided  into  eight  parts,  the  two  of  which  at 
the  farther  end  of  it  are  called  the  kail  pots ;  if  the  player 
then  stands  at  one  end,  and  pitches  the  smooth  stone 
into  all   the   divisions   one  after  the   other,  following  the 


254  HAP HAR 

same  on  a  foot   (at  every  throw),  and  bringing  it  out  of 
the  figure,   this  player  wins  not  only    the   game,    but  is-, 
considered  a  first-rate  daub  at  it;  failing,  however,  to  g(^ 
through  all   the  parts  so,  without  missing  either  a  throw-=- 
or  a  hop,  yet  keeping  before  the  other  gamblers  (for  many- 
play  at  one  bed),  still  wins  the  curious  rustic  game. 

Hap  weel — Rap  weel — A  phrase,  meaning  "hit  or 
miss." 

Hargle  Barglin — Higgling,  disputing  about  bargain- 
making. 

Harl — To  trail ;  a  harl^  a  trail. 

Harrist — Harvest ;  sometimes  Hairst, 

Harrist  Broth — The  broth  made  use  of  as  food  in  harvest, 
allowed  to  be  the  best  broth  to  be  met  with  in  the 
country  all  the  year  round,  for  then  the  vegetable  world 
is  in  perfection;  then  indeed  they  sparkle  with  rich  em, 
and  a  brosc  made  with  the  broe  taken  out  of  the  /ee  side  d 
the  kail  pot,  is  quite  an  exquisite  dish  at  this  season, 
setting  at  nought  the  boasted  skill  of  the  French  in  the 
art  of  cookery. 

Harrist  Moon — The  moon  in  the  harvest  or  Michael- 
mas time  of  the  year.  At  this  season  she  presents  us 
with  one  of  the  most  vivid  marks  we  have  of  the  Al- 
mighty directing  the  movements  of  nature  towards  the  good 
of  man ;  by  attending  to  her  emotions  at  this  period,  can 
any  rational  creature  deny  the  existence  of  Deity  ?  it  is  im- 
possible. Though  we  may  know  by  the  sublime  science 
of  Astronomy — 

**  That  the  Harrist  Moon^ 

**  Rises  nine  nights  alike  soon,"  or  will  rise. 

That  as  she  is  passing  through  one  of  her  northern  nodes, 
or  ascending,  while  the  sun  is  southing  beyond  the  Equator, 
and  descending,  her  march  round  the  earth  becomes  as  it 


HAR  HAT  255 

were  obvious  on  the  horizon ;  every  night  for  about  nine 
together,  we  find  her  having  her  thirteen  degrees  of  more 
amplitude  from  the  south,  which  are  about  her  daily  number, 
and  so  waning  away  to  the  north.  Yet  who  gave  her  orders 
for  this ;  who  caused  her  wanderings  to  be  this  way  at  this 
season,  and  at  no  other?  Who  but  he  whom  all  should 
adore,  in  the  fulness  of  soul. 

By  fixing  her  this  way,  how  is  the  husbandman  befriended, 
and  when  this  is  so,  is  not  all  mankind  befriended  ?  for  the 
farmer  feeds  the  world.  Was  the  moon  not  to  shine  forth  in 
harvest-time,  was  darkness  to  come  on  the  moment  the  sun 
sank  in  the  west,  how  much  would  it  retard  the  gathering  in 
the  ft'uits  of  the  earth ;  but  as  it  is  otherways,  the  farmer  has 
the  liberty  of  adding  whatever  part  of  the  night  he  pleases  to 
the  day,  in  order  to  fonvard  his  labours,  and  assist  him  in 
umnning  up  the  yearns  work.  Anciently,  though,  this  nioon^ 
which  was  called  the  Michaelmas  moofi,  was  hailed  by  some 
of  our  ancestree  as  a  mighty  useful  thing  for  other  purposes — 
viz.  in  reaving  and  making  inroads,  many  a  marauder  made 
a  good  fortune  in  her  beams.  The  tocher  which  a  doughty 
borderer  gave  a  daughter,  was  the  result  of  his  reaving  during 
this  moon.  But  surely  Providence  never  intended  her  to 
favour  such  as  the  Elliots^  the  Armstrongs,  and  J^ocks  o* 
the  Side  of  yore. 

Hartscaud — The  heart-bum. 

Hash — An  impudent  young  man. 

Hashloch — Waste,  refuse,  &c. 

Hasky — Husky,  rough,  &c.,  not  clean  nor  smooth. 

Hasple — A  sloven  in  every  sense  of  the  word. 

Haitie — A  game  m\h  preens,  pins,  on  the  crown  of  a  hat;  two 
or  more  may  play ;  each  lay  on  a  pin,  then  with  the  hand 
they  strike  the  side  of  the  hat,  time  about,  and  whoever 
makes  the  pins  by  a  stroke  cross  each  other,  lift  those  so 


256  HAU  HAW 

crossed.  It  is  quite  delightful  to  describe  the  Scotch  games. 
Navigators  sail  away  by  the  pole,  and  travellers  pop  their 
noses  into  Africa,  yet  bring  not  home  accounts  of  the 
manners  of  any  people  half  so  strange  as  our  own,  when 
truly  described. 

Haughs — Wide  glens,  with  some  level  land  in  them,  and  a 
river  running  down  the  middle.  Haughs,  cieuc/is,  glens,  and 
gills,  are  all  of  the  same  "  genera,"  as  a  naturalist  would  say, 
but  different  in  species  and  character. 

Haurk — A  term  much  used  by  Scotch  foxhunters,  when  the 
hounds  find  the  scent  of  reynard  in  one  of  his  keeps,  or 
challenge  him ;  the  terriers  or  little  dogs  are  brought  to  the 
place,  and  desired  by  Nimrod  to  get  below,  far  aneath  the 
yirdy  the  which  they  will  do  without  much  entreaty;  but 
when  they  come  near  the  throne  of  his  majesty,  his  highness 
places  himself  so  in  a  jamb  or  chink,  that  they  cannot  get  be- 
hind him ;  there  stand  the  little  vicious  creatures,  and  keep  up 
a  continued  barking.  When  the  hunter  hears  by  them  the 
situation  they  are  in,  he  bawls  down  to  haurk  to  him,  haurk 
to  him,  ye  wee  blasties ;  so,  in  defiance  of  the  tusks  of  the  fox, 
they  seize  on,  and  drag  out  the  crafty  villain. 

Haurl — A  female  careless  of  dress. 

Haurnpan — The  scull. 

Haurrage — A  blackguard  crew  of  people. 

Haveron — A  goat  a  year  old,  gelded. 

Havoc-burds — Those  large  flocks  of  small  birds  which  fly 
about  the  fields  after  harvest;  they  are  of  different  sorts, 
though  all  of  the  linnet  tribe.  IVhunlinties  form  the  greatest 
number. 

Hawckin — The  noise  made  to  clear  the  throat. 

Hawkie — An  affectionate  name  for  a  favorite  cow.  Bums 
talks  about  "  tivall-pint  Haivkie,^^  Hurly  Haivkie  is  the  call 
milk-maids  use  to  call  the  cows  home  to  be  milked. 


HAW HEA  257 

It  is  somewhat  a  curious  song,  that  one  of  Hurlie  Hawkie ; 
the  world  may  have  a  sight  of  it ; — 

O  yonder*s  my  Nannie  gathering  the  kye, 

Whar  the  e'ening  sun  is  beaming, 
Awa  on  the  hazley  brae  down  by, 
Whar  the  yellow  nits  are  leaming. 
And  ay  she  cries  **  Hurly  liawkie. 
**  String  awa,  my  crommies,  to  the  milking  loan, 
"  Ilurly,  Huriy,  Hawky." 

How  sweetly  her  voice  dinnles  through  my  heart, 

ril  wyle  roun*  and  her  foregather, 
Tak  a  kiss  or  twa,  and  then  gae  part. 
For  fear  o*  her  crusty  father. 
And  ay  she  cries,  "  Hurly  Hawkie, 
**  String,  string  awa  hame  to  the  milking  loan, 
**  Hurly,  Hurly,  Hawky." 

Now  a'  in  a  flutter  she  lies  in  my  arms 
On  the  hinny  smelling  bank  o  clover, 
Wha  wad  be  sae  base  as  steal  her  charms  ! 
It  shall  na  !)e  me  her  lover. 

I'll  let  her  cry,  **  Hurly  Hawkie, 

**  And  wize  the  kye  hame  to  the  milking  loan, 

"Hurly,  Hurly,  Hawkie." 

Hawk-studyin — The  way  Hawks  steadily  hover  above  their 
prey  before  they  pounce  on  it ;  they  anchor  themselves  in  the 
air,  as  it  were,  and  always  with  their  "  bow  "  or  breast  to  the 
wind.  No  other  birds  but  them  seem  to  be  able  to  "  bring 
to  "  in  the  aerial  element ;  no  wonder  this  was  taken  notice  of 
by  the  ancients,  as  in  the  question  put  to  the  Man  of  Uzz, 
"  Dost  thou  know  how  the  hawk  flies  ?  "  Indeed,  none  can 
say  how  ;  none  human. 

Hawse-bane — That  rise  beneath  the  chin  and  the  throat. 

Headim  and  Corsim — A  game  with  pins.  Pins  are 
hid  with  fingers  in  the  palms  of  the  hands;  the  same 
number  is  laid  alongside  them,  and  either  headim  or  corsim 
called  out  by  those  who  do  so ;  when  the  fingers  are  lifted* 
if  the  heads  of  the  pins  hid,  and  those  beside  them,  be 
lying  one  way,  when  the  crier  cried  headim^  then  that 
player  wins ;  but  if  corsim^  the  one  who  hid  the  pins  wins. 
This  is  the  king  of  all  the  games,  at  the  preens,  and  let 
it  not  be  thought  that  it  is  a  bairtis  play ;  by  no  means ; 


258  HKA  HEA 

it  is  jilayed  by  lads  and  lasses  as  big  as  ever  they  will  be, 
and  by  those  whom  age  has  again  made  young ;  the  game 
is  simple  and  harmless,  and  not  uninteresting ;  the  Peasant 
is  as  anxious  about  gaining  a  preeti,  as  my  Lord  Duke  would 
be  about  ten  thousand  pounds ;  when  the  stakes  run  high, 
bammen  and  ploughmen  get  noisy  over  them,  and  play 
open-mouthed,  taking  such  hearty  laughs  whiles,  that  sparrows 
who  have  "  taken  up  lodging  for  the  night,"  in  the  thacked 
easifigs,  flutter  frightened  from  their  holes.  Cheatery  is 
sometimes  heard  of  in  this  game  too ;  then  is  the  saying 
sounded,  "  They  wha  begin  to  steal  needles  and  pins,  end 
wi'  stealing  horned  kye ; "  (as  the  twig  is  bent  the  tree's 
inclined.) 

Headrigg — The  ridge  which  runs  along  the  ends  of  the 
others. 

Heads  and  Tails — That  plan  for  deciding  matters  by  the 
"  birl  d  a  bawbee^  The  one  side  cries  heads y  (when  the  piece 
is  a  whirling  in  the  air)  and  the  other  tails ;  so  whichever  is 
up  when  the  piece  alights,  that  gains,  or  settles  the  matter; 
^^^^  standing  for  the  king's  head,  fails  for  she  who  represents 
Britannia.  Some  will  doubtless  laugh  at  me  for  explaining 
things  minutely  which  seem  to  them  to  be  so  well  known  as 
to  need  no  explanation  ;  I  may  just  laugh  at  these  in  return, 
for  there  is  not  one  in  a  hundred  "  could  explain"  what  is — 
/leads  and  fai/s. 

Heather-bleet — The  mire  snipe. 

**  The  laverock  and  the  lark, 

**  The  bawkic  and  the  bat, 
••  The  heaihcr-blect^  the  mire-snipe, 

'*  How  many  burds  be  that  ? ' 

There  are  some  who  must  think  awhile  before  they 
answer  tnis  question  rightly,  by  saying  three.  The  snipe 
is  called  heather-bleet ^  from  her  loving  wild  heathery 
marshes,  and  when  soaring  aloft,  "  bleating^'  with  her  wings, 
in    the    spring  time.      Yes,  bleating  with  her    wings,    not 


HEA  HER  259 

with  her  mouth ;  she  vibrates  her  wings  quick  against  the 
air,  causing  the  sweet  bleating  noise  to  take  place. 

Heather-cow — A  heath-broom. 

Hech  I — ^An  exclamation  used  almost  on  every  emergency. 

Hech-how  ! — ^The  same  as  the  above ;  only  it  is  the  name  of 
the  poisonous  herb,  hemlock,  also. 

Hech-how-hum  ! — An  exclamation  much  like  those  above, 
only,  it  is  always  accompanied  with  a  yawn. 

Heck — ^A  hay-rick.  Also  the  toothed  thing  which  guides  the 
spun-thread  on  to  the  pirn,  in  spinning-wheels. 

Heddles — ^Those  parts  of  a  weaver^s  loom  through  which 
the  threads  come  to  be  wove.  They  are  connected  with  the 
^^ threadles,**  and  can  be  altered  any  way  at  the  weavers 
pleasure,  by  his  touching  the  "  treadles  "  with  his  feet 

Heezie — A  mighty  lift 

Hell's-holes — ^Those  dark  nooks  which  are  dreaded  as  being 
haunted  with  bogles. 

Helter-skelter — Bounding  forward,  fearless  of  every 
thing ;  not  caring  whether  the  way  is  right  or  wrong* 
confused  or  not 

Hemp-riggs — Ridges  of  fat  land  whereon  hemp  was  sown 
in  the  olden  time;  and  in  these  modem  days,  when  land 
is  a  praising  for  goodness,  it  is  said  to  be  as  strong  as 
hemp-riggs, 

Henchvents — The  same  with  "gores,"  pieces  of  linen  put 
into  the  lower  parts  of  a  shirt,  to  make  that  end  wider  than 
the  other,  to  give  "  vent"  or  room  for  the  "  haunch." 

Heron,  the  Historian — Sketches  of  the  life  and  character 
of  this  ill-fated  Gallovidian,  have  now  frequently  been  given, 
so  I  only  mean  to  say  a  few  things  not  spoken  of  by  any. 


26o  HER  HER 

When  he  was  in  his  seventeenth  or  eighteenth  year,  he  taught 
some  farmers'  families  in  the  Parish  d  Borgue.  My  mother 
had  the  honour  to  be  one  of  his  pupils.  He  lashed  his 
scholars  sometimes  dreadfully,  for  his  temper  was  easily 
ruffled.  A  big  lad  at  his  school  being  called  up  for  punish- 
ment once,  the  fellow  burst  out  "  that  he  would  not  be  lashed 
by  any  Heron  that  ever  lap  on  twa  legs  ;"  so  the  teacher  and 
he  had  a  set-to^  both  came  madly  to  the  scratchy  the  dominie 
"wzsflooredy  his  breadbasket  was  almost  broken  on  a  binkj  and 
from  his  nose  claret  leaked  profusely. 

In  those  days  he  was  a  great  reader  :  the  book  was  never 
out  of  his  hand,  and  the  manner  in  which  he  punished  the 
boys  was  hitting  them  a  skelp  on  the  side  of  the  head  with 
a  book,  which  made  the  tears  start  in  their  eyes.  He  fre- 
quented the  loop  of  a  burn  much  :  this  was  an  out-of-the-way 
nuik.  Here  did  he  study  with  deep  attention  the  mazy 
world  of  literature.  When  the  house-maid  would  have 
wanted  him  to  come  to  dinner,  in  vain  might  she  have 
stood  at  a  distance  and  called  on  Mr,  Heron  ;  he  heard  her 
not,  being  so  deeply  absorbed  with  his  books,  so  she 
had  no  other  shift  than  always  go,  and  put  at  him  with  her 
hand,  saying  whiles,  "  O  !  wad  the  bum  rise  some  day 
and  swoop  Heron  afore't  into  the  sea."  These  natural 
touches,  trivial  looking  though  they  be,  strike  at  the  foun- 
dation of  this  wayward  character.  He  was  fretful  and 
ambitious,  fond  to  excess  of  learning ;  had  he  read  nature 
though,  more  than  books,  it  would  have  been  as  well  for 
his  fame  now-a-days.  He  is  not  an  original  writer ;  his 
thoughts  commonly  are  at  second  or  third  hand.  Had  he 
given  the  world  a  history  of  his  native  clauchan,  New 
Galloway,  I  do  not  know  but  it  would  have  been  as  much 
to  his  fame  as  his  History  of  Scotland,  good  though  that 
work  be.  His  sentences  are  much  too  long,  a  reader  is 
apt  to  lose  the  thread  of  the  discourse.  Poor  fellow  I 
but  why  say  any  thing  against  him  ?  few,  few  are  bom  with 


HET  HEY  261 

half  his  talents.  The  heart  melts  when  thinking  of  his 
latter  end ;  had  I  been  in  London  when  he  was  inhumanly 
incarcerated  in  a  lazar  house,  if  I  had  not  found  some 
means  to  relieve,  I  would  have  perished  with  him. 

Het-ahame — It  is  said  of  those  who  wander  abroad 
when  they  have  no  need  to  do  so,  and  happen  to  fare 
ill,  that  they  "  war  mure  het  ahame'^ 

Het-bitch — A  bitch  in  her  rutting  season. 

Het-Drinks — Warm  drinks  of  the  cordial  nature,  which  gude- 
wives  bumper  at  ^'^•KimtnerinsP 

Heughs — Precipices.  Some  of  these  in  Galloway  are  very 
steep  and  deep ;  perhaps  those  of  Cru^leton  and  Rascar- 
rel  are  the  largest  on  the  shore,  but  those  of  Caimsmoor, 
in  the  inland,  are  far  larger.  Many  kill  themselves  clam- 
bering about  on  these  for  birds'  eggs  and  *'*■  pasper^^  and 
cattle  often  fall  over  them  no  more  to  rise  with  the  life. 
Davie  Mabetiy  an  old  cross-grained  herdy  once  quarrelled 
with  his  dog,  when  he  catched  him  by  the  hind  heels^  and 
tossed  him  over  the  "  Raen  Nest  Hcuch  "  of  the  "  Nether- 
law^^  exclaiming,  when  the  poor  tyke  was  suffering  below, 
**  Did  you  not  know  that  I  was  a  passionate  man  ?  "  Per- 
haps Shakespeare  or  Scott  have  expressed  nothing  more 
genuine  than  this,  of  mad  feeling. 

Hey  Wullie  Wine,  and  How  Wullie  Wine — An  old 
fire-side  play  of  the  peasantry,  hinted  at  by  Cromek ;  but 
there  are  many  ways  of  drawing  out  the  merry  concern. 
Suppose,  seated  round  the  ingle^  in  ih^  fore-nighty  a  large 
party  of  lads  and  lasses,  full  of  mirth,  beauty,  honesty, 
and  simplicity;  in  short,  bairnies  of  nature.  One  of  the 
lasses,  for  instance,  addresses  one  of  the  lads  so — 

"  Hey,  Wullie  Wine,  and  IIow  Wullie  Wine, 
**  I  hoi)c  for  hame  ye' 11  no  incline, 
'*  Ye'll  better  light,  and  stay  a'  night, 
**  And  I'll  gie  thee  a  lady  fine." 


26o  HER  HER 

When  he  was  in  his  seventeenth  or  eighteenth  year,  he  taught 
some  farmers'  families  in  the  Parish  d  Borgue,  My  mother 
had  the  honour  to  be  one  of  his  pupils.  He  lashed  his 
scholars  sometimes  dreadfully,  for  his  temper  was  easily 
ruffled.  A  big  lad  at  his  school  being  called  up  for  punish- 
ment once,  the  fellow  burst  out  "  that  he  would  not  be  lashed 
by  any  Heron  that  ever  lap  on  hua  legs  ;"  so  the  teacher  and 
he  had  a  set-to,  both  came  madly  to  the  scratch,  the  dominie 
"wzs  floored,  his  breadbasket  was  almost  broken  on  a  bink,  and 
from  his  nose  claret  leaked  profusely. 

In  those  days  he  was  a  great  reader  :  the  book  was  never 
out  of  his  hand,  and  the  manner  in  which  he  punished  the 
boys  was  hitting  them  a  skelp  on  the  side  of  the  head  with 
a  book,  which  made  the  tears  start  in  their  eyes.  He  fre- 
quented the  loop  of  a  burn  much  :  this  was  an  out-of-the-way 
nuik.  Here  did  he  study  with  deep  attention  the  mazy 
world  of  literature.  When  the  house-maid  would  have 
wanted  him  to  come  to  dinner,  in  vain  might  she  have 
stood  at  a  distance  and  called  on  Afr,  Heron  ;  he  heard  her 
not,  being  so  deeply  absorbed  with  his  books,  so  she 
had  no  other  shift  than  always  go,  and  put  at  him  with  her 
hand,  saying  whiles,  "  O  !  wad  the  bum  rise  some  day 
and  swoop  Heron  afore^t  into  the  sea."  These  natural 
touches,  trivial  looking  though  they  be,  strike  at  the  foun- 
dation of  this  wayward  character.  He  was  fretful  and 
ambitious,  fond  to  excess  of  learning ;  had  he  read  nature 
though,  more  than  books,  it  would  have  been  as  well  for 
his  fame  now-a-days.  He  is  not  an  original  writer;  his 
thoughts  commonly  are  at  second  or  third  hand.  Had  he 
given  the  world  a  history  of  his  native  clauchan^  New 
Galloway,  I  do  not  know  but  it  would  have  been  as  much 
to  his  fame  as  his  History  of  Scotland,  good  though  that 
work  be.  His  sentences  are  much  too  long,  a  reader  is 
apt  to  lose  the  thread  of  the  discourse.  Poor  fidkm! 
but  why  say  any  thing  against  him  ?  few,  fev  Vt  bom  vidi 


-—    /•      x. 


HEX  HEY  261 

half  his  talents.  The  heart  melts  when  thinking  of  his 
latter  end ;  had  I  been  in  London  when  he  was  inhumanly 
incarcerated  in  a.  lazar  house,  if  I  had  not  found  some 
means  toreUeve,  I  would  ha^'c  perished  with  him. 

Het-ahame — It  is  said  of  those  who  wander  abroad 
when  they  have  no  need  to  do  so,  and  happen  to  fare 
ill,  that  they  " -war  owre  het  aliame." 

Het-bitch — A  bitch  in  her  rutting  season. 

Hei'-Drinks — Warm  drinks  of  the  cordial  nature,  which  gude- 
wives  bumper  at  "Kimtiierins." 

Heughs — Precipices.  Some  of  these  in  Galloway  are  very 
steep  and  deep ;  perhaps  those  of  CraggUtoii  and  Rascar- 
rel  are  the  largest  on  the  shore,  but  those  of  Cairtismoor, 
in  the  inland,  are  far  lai^er.  Many  kill  themselves  clam- 
bering about  on  these  for  birds'  eggs  and  "  pasper,"  and 
cattle  often  fall  over  them  no  more  to  rise  with  the  life. 
Dai'ie  Mabeti,  an  old  cross-grained  herd,  once  quarrelled 
with  his  dog,  when  he  catched  him  by  the  ///hi/  heels,  and 
tossed  him  over  the  "  Raen  NesI  Heuch  "  of  the  "  Nether- 
law"  exclaiming,  when  the  poor  tyke  was  suffering  below, 
"  Did  you  not  know  that  I  was  a  passionate  man  ?  "  Per- 
haps Shakespeare  or  Scott  have  expressed  nothing  more 
genuine  than  this,  of  niad  feeling. 

Hey  Wullie  Wine,  and  How  Wullie  Wine— An  old 
fire-side  play  of  the  peasantry,  hinted  at  by  Cromek ;  but 
there  are  many  ways  of  drawing  out  the  merry  concern. 
Suppose,  seated  round  the  ingU,  in  the /ore-nigit,  a  large 
party  of  lads  and  lasses,  full  of  mirth,  beauty,  honesty, 
and  simplicity ;  in  short,  dairm'es  of  nature.  One  of  the 
lasses,  for  instance,  addresses  one  of  the  lads  so — 

Hey.  WuUic  Wine,  nnU  How  Wullie  Wine, 
'     '  ame  ye'U  no  incline, 
light,  and  suy  a'  nigbl, 
thee  >  lady  line." 


262  HEV -  HEY 


Then  he  answers, 


**  Wha  will  ye  gie  if  I  wi*  ye  bide, 
**  To  be  my  bonny  blooming  bride, 
•*  And  lie  down  lovely  by  my  side?'' 


Again  she — 


**  I'll  gie  Ihee  Kate  o'  Dinglebell, 
**  A  bonny  tfody  like  yersell." 


Then  he  — 


'*  I'll  slick  her  up  in  the  pear-tree, 
**  Sweet  and  meek  and  >ae  is  she  ; 
**  I  lo*ed  her  ance,  but  she's  no  for  me, 
"  Yet  I  thank  ye  for  your  courtesy." 


She— 


**  I'll  gie  thee  Rozie  o'  the  Cleugh, 

**  I'm  sure  she'll  please  thee  weel  eneugh. 


He— 


**  Up  wi'  her  on  the  bane  dyke, 

**  She'll  be  rotten  or  I  be  ripe  ; 

**  She's  made  for  some  ither,  and  no  for  me, 

"  Yet  I  thank  ye  for  your  courtesy." 


She— 


**  Then  I'll  gie  ye  Nell  o'  sweet  Sprinkcll, 
**  Owre  Gallowa  she  bears  the  bell." 


He- 


'*  rU  set  her  up  in  my  bed-head, 
**  And  feed  her  weel  wi'  milk  and  bread  ; 
**  She's  for  nae  ither  but  jist  for  me, 
**  Sae  I  thank  ye  for  your  courtesy." 

Such  is  a  specimen  of  the  concern.  The  lady  before 
the  questions  are  put,  whispers  to  another,  the  girl  he  will 
stop  with — so  this  one  must  be  given  before  the  dialogue 
ends.  The  chief  drift  of  this  singular  amusement  seems 
to  be,  to  discover  the  sweethearts  of  one  another,  and  such 
discoveries  are  thought  valuable,  but  not  so  much  so  as  they 
were  anciently. 


HID  HIE  263 

HiDDLiNs — In  a  hidden  way,  not  open. 

HiE-cocKET  Hat — A  hat  with  the  brim  thrice  cocked.  It  is  said 
to  be  "the  life  of  an  old  hat  to  cock  it"  Anciently  these 
hats  were  very  commonly  wore ;  also  hair  tied  and  clubbed  in 
a  ribbon  /and;  coats  long  in  the  waist  with  large  buttons ; 
waistcoats  with  pouch-flaps  side  on  the  thee,  and  mostly  of  a 
demity  cuty  with  broad  mother  d  pearl  buttons ;  breeches  with- 
out braces,  but  with  buckles  and  biukleflaps,  and  these  breeks 
were  generally  of  either  a  hoddan  grey  or  slate-blue  colour ; 
stockings  knitted  ahame,  with  many  ribs;  shoes  sharp-toed, 
with  buckles,  and  often  with  buckles  and  fause-tags.  Thus 
adorned,  tag-rag  and  bob-tail,  our  forefathers  were  no  Joke, 
A  dandy  at  a  country  kirk  in  these  times  would  have  been 
hailed  as  a  most  astonishing  object ;  the  auld  wives  would 
have  thought  "//  had  drapped  frae  the  moon.'*  The  first 
umbrella  that  ever  was  braced  in  Galloway  belonged  to  a 
Sutor,  who  ivotid  about  the  Gate-Jwuse  fifty  years  ago ;  he 
ran  allwheres  through  the  country  to  display  the  fairly,  and 
being  at  Borgue  kirk  one  windy  day,  while  coming  over 
the  kirk-stile,  all  eyes  on  him,  a  gurl  came,  when  all  sail 
was  set,  and  away  went  the  tappin  lift,  down  came  the 
pikes  clashing  about  his  lugs,  and  one  of  them  transfixed 
his  cheek  to  the  effusion  of  Crispan's  blood.  O  I  but  I  glory 
to  keek  back  into  the  days  of  yore,  and  take  a  laugh. 

Hi  ELAN  Fling — A  rustic  dance. 

Hielan-Man's  Burial — A  funeral  which  lasts  more  than 
a  day.  These  are  common  yet  in  the  Highlands  of  Scot- 
land, but  rarely  now  to  be  met  with  in  the  Lowlands ; 
however,  funerals  nigh  approaching  to  them  sometimes 
happen.  The  mourners  get  *'fow "  at  the  burial  house ^ 
and  have  a  dancing  time  with  the  corpse  on  the  road  from 
thence  to  the  kirk-yard.  If  the  old  ^^freef'  be  true 
"  that   those  who   fall  when  at  the  handspake  aneath  the 


264  HIE  HIE 

corpse,  will  soon  be  the  corpse  themsell,"  there  would 
soon  be  a  good  few  corpses;  for  at  these  ^*' drunken'" 
concerns,  the  bearers  are  falling  some  of  them  every  now 
and  then.  The  following  is  a  verbatim  account  of  one 
of  these  burials : — "  At  length  the  laird  o'  the  Bower- 
tree  BusSy  gaed  his  last  pawt,  was  straughted,  dressed, 
coffined  and  a';  and  I  was  bidden  to  his  burial  the  Tues- 
day after." 

"  There  I  gaed,  and  there  were  met  a  wheen  fine  boys. 
Tarn  d  t/te  Todholes,  and  Wall  d  the  Slack  war  there ;  Ndl 
Wulson^  t/te  fisher,  and    Wuil  Rain,  the  gunner,  too;  the 
first  service  that  came  roun'  was  strong  farintosh,  famous  peat 
reek,  there  was  nae  grief  amang  us.     The  laird  had  plenty , 
had  neither  a  wife  nor  a  wean,  sae  wha  cud  greet     We  drew 
close  to  ither,  and  began  the  cracks  ding  dang,  while  every 
minute  roun*  came  anither  reamin  service.     I  faun'  the  bees 
i'  my  head  bizzin  strong,  in  a  wee  time.     The  inside  of  the 
burial  house  was  like  the  inside  o'  a  Kelton-hill  tent ;  a  banter 
came  frae  the  tae  side  of  the  room,  and  was  sent  back  wi' 
a  jibe  frae  the  ither.     Lifting  at  last  began  to  be  talked  about, 
and  at  last  lift  we  did.     *  Whaever  wished  for  a  pouchfu'  o* 
drink  might  tak  it.*     This  was  the  order ;  sae  mony  a  douce 
black  coat  hang  side  wi'  a  heavy  bottle.     On  we  gaed  wi* 
the  laird,  his  weight  we  faun  na'.     Wull  IVeer  we  left  ahin 
drunk  on  the  spot     Rob  Fisher  took  a  sheer  as  we  came 
dovrci  the  green  brae,  and  landed  himsell  in  a  rossen  <f 
breers:  Whaup-nebbed   Samuel   fell   aif   the    drift    too.      I 
saw  him  as  we  came  cross  Hotvnuraig ;  the  drink  was  gaen 
frae  him  like  couters.     Whan  we  came  to  the  Taffdyke  that 
rins  cross  Barrend,  there  we  laid  the  laird  down  till  we 
took  a  rest  a  wee.     The  inside  o'  pouches  war  than  turned 
out,  bottle  after  bottle  was  touted  owre;  we  rowed  about, 
and  some  warsled.     At  last  a  game  at  the  quoits  was  pro- 
posed ;  we  played,  but  how  we  played  I  kenna.      Whan  we 
got  tae  the  kirk-yard  the  sin  was  just  plumpin  down ;  we 


HIE    HIE  265 

pat  the  coffin  twice  in  the  grave  wrang,  and  as  oflen  had  to 
draw't  out  again.  We  got  it  to  fit  at  last,  and  in  wi'  the 
moulds  on't.  The  grave-digger  we  made  a  beast  o*.  Sic  a 
funeral  I  was  ne'er  at  afore ;  surely,  I  ay  think  that  it  was 
na  unlike  a  HielarC man^ s  Buried,^ 

I  may  follow  the  sketch  of  the  ffielandman'Sy  with 

THE  BIG  MAN'S  BURIAL. 

Whan  simmer  suns  were  blazing  high, 

And  clegs  made  cattle  startle, 
Whan  gussey  in  the  dub  did  lie, 

And  hardly  ^^aed  a  spartle  ; 
Frae  Bath  came  hame  to  Oxterlee 

Lonl  Burble's  stinking  carcage, 
Pack'd  up  in  coffins  ane,  twa,  tnree, 

A  most  infernal  farks^e 

To  yird  some  day. 


His  honest  tenant  folks  about 

Were  glad  the  same  to  hear, 
For  lang  the  scurr  had  screw'd  the  snout. 

And  damn'd  the  fa'ing  tear  ; 
But  that  disease  reserved  by  death 

For  hal lions  sic  as  he. 
Which  works  by  licf,  hotch'd  out  his  breath, 

And  left  him  to  the  e'e 

Grey  sight  ae  day. 


Now,  as  it  often  is  the  gate 

Wi*  sic  like  purse-proud  fools. 
Whan  dead,  to  lie  a  while  in  state 

Afore  they  gang  tae  mools, 
Sae  in  a  bonny  airy  room 

The  great  Lord  Burble  loU'd, 
While  clowns  and  chambermaids  did  come 

Gnuul  torches  to  behold 

As  bright  as  day. 


What  gowden  bobs  and  siller  cords 

Wi'  raws  o'  tackets  clear. 
Did  glister  on  the  varnish 'd  boards 

Tmit  held  the  lousy  peer ; 
Through  a*  the  Ian'  o'  Gallowa 

The  news  like  muir-bum  ran, 
And  o'er  the  seas  and  far  awa 

That  death  this  nobleman 

Had  down'd  ae  day. 


266  HIE     -  -  HIE 


And  that  upon  the  coming  twault 

O*  mochy  sultry  July, 
He  wad  be  rowed  to  his  vault. 

Which  beggars  minded  truly  ; 
They  left  Maybole  and  Minnieivc, 

Fu*  ragged  and  fu*  merry, 
And  many  a  loon  w^ha  ne'er  did  thrive 

In  counties  I>own  and  Derry, 

For  that  big  day. 


Behold  them  limping  out  the  roads 

That  led  to  Oxterlee, 
And  hurkeling  in  glen  abodes, 

A  dusty  sight  to  see  ; 
High  were  their  hopes  for  food  and  cash, 

And  drink  to  keep  them  strunting, 
Which  cures  the  yislc  and  waterbrash. 

And  sets  the  pipes  a  lunting 

Sure  grab  that  day. 


What  skinless  cuddies  hobbling  by. 

What  troops  come  fla^ng  on 
Frae  the  aula  clauchan  a  Dairy, 

And  grim  Damellinton ; 
What  sarkless  randy  hizzies  there 

Just  bubbeling  wi*  bawdery. 
Their  hips,  outkeeking,  did  declare 

They  cared  na  much  for  gaudery 

To  shine  that  day. 


**  Rike  me  out  my  blackish  breeks," 

Quoth  Rab  o'  Braxy  Brae, 
To  Mall,  the  wife — sae  she  them  seeks, 

Deep  hid  amang  the  lac. 
He  claps  them  on  his  rustic  doup, 

Sae  hairy  and  sac  yellow. 
And  af  tae  burial  did  loup, 

A  raw-baned  country  fallow, 

To  help  that  day. 


And  there  was  need  o*  some  strong  folk 

To  en*  him  down  the  stair, 
For  faith,  lead  cofHns  are  nae  joke. 

They  gall  the  shout  her  sair  ; 
This,  Factor  Glunch  did  brawly  ken, 

Sae  sought  the  crowds  fu'  neatly 
For  sax  or  aught  strong  sturdy  men. 

To  do  the  business  featly 

And  right  that  day. 


HIE  HIE  267 

The  first  twa  that  he  picked  on 

War  Rab  and  Jock  the  Tar, 
Rough  Jock  wha  mony  a  year  had  shone, 

On  board  a  man  o'  war  ; 
Than  Putting  Tam,  Black  Boxing  Ned, 

And  Pate,  the  mighty  thrasher  ; 
Marie-throwing  Wull,  Leash  Sam  the  Blade 

\Vi'  Jeamy  Jirk,  the  smasher, 

To  lift  that  day. 


But  tho'  they  war  the  strongest  chiels. 

That  day  upon  the  ground,  • 
They  often  stagger'd  on  their  heels. 

When  his  great  weight  they  found  ; 
And  coming  slowly,  step  by  step, 

Thus  rather  overpowered, 
Iloch  !  ane  o*  them  a  fit  did  slip, 

Sae  down  his  lordship  low'red 

Fu'  fast  that  day. 


The  swearing  now  fii'  loud  began, 

Crush'd  taes  were  felt  a*  quaking. 
And  skin,  torn  aff  a  leg  or  han', 

Gaed  subjects  for  coarse  talking. 
Fat  Jock,  the  man-o'-war*s-man,  damn'd 

Rab  for  a  rotten  lubber  ; 
While  thrasher  Pate  the  sailor  blamed 

For  nought  but  stinking  blubber, 

And  filth  that  day. 


The  tinklers  on  the  gowany  green 

Upstarted  frae  their  hurdies. 
And  now  about  my  lord  were  seen 

Outspuing  bonny  wordies ; 
Nae  bossness  then  they  felt  ava* 

Within  the  pow  and  crappin*, 
For  plenty  had  been  gien  to  a'. 

And  nane  refused  their  chappin' 

To  glutt  that  day. 


Some  weil-dress'd  bloods  now  seem'd  to  tak 

Upon  them  a'  the  trouble. 
The  ragabash  were  ordered  back. 

And  then  began  the  hiibble  ; 
For  cudj  ells  now  war  seen  to  bounce 

Aff  sculls  and  bloody  noses. 
While,  some  unfit  to  stan'  a  whunce, 

Stcn'd  aff,  and  missed  the  doses 

O'  that  wild  day. 


268  HIL  HIL 


At  last  the  beggars  cleared  the  field, 

For  wha  could  stan'  their  whunners  ? 
The  verra  ploughmen  had  to  yield, 

Wi'  hides  as  black  as  shuners.  ' 

Then  on  four  rollers  they  did  place 

His  lordship  and  his  coffins. 
And  haurl'd  him  to  his  vault  wi'  grace, 

'Thout  either  sneers  or  scoffins, 

To  close  that  dav. 


Sae  snugly  now  he  rots  awa 

In  hole  below  the  grun, 
Auld  Shanky  values  no  ae  fla' 

Slump  fifty  thousan*  pun'. 
May  every  curse  wha  lives  like  he 

By  vermin  sae  be  crum{)ed. 
Yea,  like  him  too,  interred  be. 

And  in  liell  bravely  thumped 

Wi'  pith,  some  day. 

HiLCH — A  singular  halt. 

HiLLANS — Small  artificial  hills  of  any  thing. 

HiLLFOwK — Those  truly  religious  and  independent  people, 
the  Covenanters,  well  known  to  all  the  world  ages  ago, 
and  the  inhuman  manner  in  which  they  were  persecuted 
anciently,  makes  all  men  of  feeling  admire  them.  That 
person  is  never  of  a  great  character  who  laughs  at  the  hill- 
fowk;  there  is  less  patriotic  blood  in  the  vjins  of  such  than 
would  fill  a  nut-shell,  ^nd  the  heart  is  as  rotten  as  a 
yellow  puddock  stool  They  are  called  the  hill-foivk,  from 
their  love  of  the  primitive  plan  of  worshipping  the  Creator, 
as  his  son  did,  amongst  the  hills  and  mountains  in  the 
open  air,  under  the  cerulean  canopy.  Of  all  the  sects  of 
Christians  in  the  world,  these  and  the  Quakers  for  me ; 
because  the  last  say  little,  and  wrangle  less,  respecting 
religious  matters,  but  venerate  the  whole  with  solemn  and 
silent  awe,  moving  about,  on  this  sinful  planet,  an  honor 
to  the  human  race;  and  the  first  for  why,  they  do  speak 
but  in  a  natural  and  manly  manner.  I  have  felt  myself 
frequently  very  much  refireshed  with  hearing  a  hill-preach- 
iftg^  and  once  was  foolish  enough  to  scrawl  a  little  pam- 


HIL HIN  269 

phlet  respecting  hill-preachers^  which  was  published  in 
Galloway,  intitled  Osbom  and  Syminton  on  the  IVeighbeam, 
The  Ilill-foivk  are  \htfo7vk  to  whom  the  kirk  of  Scotland 
owes  all  her  beauty ;  for  this  they  paid  dearly  with  their 
blood  at  Drumclog^  Bothwell  Brigg,  and  elsewhere — ^scenes 
never  to  be  forgotten. 

Hilt  nor  Hair — When  anything  is  lost,  and  cannot  be  found, 
we  say,  that  we  "  canna  see  hilt  nor  hair  o\"  not  the 
slightest  vestige.  To  English  the  phrase  closely,  we  may 
say,  "  Top  nor  tail.*' 

HiNGiNG-LUGGED — A  person  is  said  to  be  hinging-lugged  when 
having  an  ill-will  at  any  one,  and  apparently  sulky.  "  Such 
a  one  has  a  hinging-lugg  at  me,"  means  that  that  one  is  not 
well  disposed  towards  me.  For  my  own  part,  I  am  in  love 
with  all  mankind  ;  I  never  had  a  very  great  outcast  with  any, 
and  at  present  have  not  a  hinging-lugg  at  a  living  soul.  The 
kicks  and  thousand  rebuffs  of  this  world,  thank  God,  I  can 
take  with  pleasure,  and  give  none.  This  phrase  comes  from 
the  way  dogs,  and  some  other  brutes,  have,  of  letting  their 
ears — luggs^  droop  when  on  the  eve  of  battle. 

H INGINS — Bed  curtains. 

Hin-han-Plavers  —  For  common,  the  best  players  at  the 
game  of  curling  of  their  party ;  they  play  after  all  the 
others  have  played,  and  their  throw  is  always  much 
depended  on.  Some  argue  that  the  best  player  should 
not  play  last,  as  then  the  rink  is  made  so  foul  with  stones 
that  they  have  no  chance  to  do  anything.  However,  the 
nature  of  man  is  always  for  having  something  good  to  rest 
his  hopes  on  at  the  last ;  so  good  players  must  always  finish 
the  splore, 

Hin-harrest-time — That  time  of  the  year  between  harvest 
and  winter.     The  same  with  Back-ctt,  which  see. 

Hinnerliths — The  hind  parts. 


270  HIN HIP 

HiNNiE-piGS — A  school  game  ;  also  pots  to  hold  honey.  The 
boys  who  try  this  sport  sit  down  in  rows,  hands  locked 
beneath  their  hams.  Round  comes  one  of  them,  the 
honey-merchant y  who  feels  those  who  are  sweet  or  sour,  by 
lifting  them  by  the  arm-pits,  and  giving  them  three  shakes  ; 
if  they  stand  these  without  the  hands  unlocking  below,  they 
are  then  sweet  and  saleable,  fit  for  being  office-bearers  of  other 
ploys.  As  to  the  pigs^  real  honey-pots,  an  old  bee-man  once 
had  a  very  bad  boy  for  a  son,  who  longed  to  get  at  his 
father's  hinnie-pigs^  which  were  kept  secure  in  a  strong  chest 
Long  the  boy  attempted  to  get  a  lick  of  the  treasure,  but  in 
vain.  At  last  he  hit  on  the  infernal  plan  of  loading  the  lid 
of  the  hunker  so  with  stones,  that  it  gave  way,  and  smashed 
the  hale  o'  the  hinnie-pigs.  His  father,  hearing  the  crash, 
hunted  him  through  the  clauchan,  bawling  out,  "  I  never  saw 
the  like  o*  him,  ye  never  saw  the  like  o'  him,  nor  mortal 
man  ever  saw  the  like  o*  him." 

HiNTiNGS — ^The  furrows  which  ploughmen  finish  their  ridges 
with.  These  furrows  are  not  like  the  others  ;  they  are  lifted 
out  of  the  bottom  of  the  main  ^^furr"  and  are  soil  of  a 
different  nature. 

The  greatest  difficulty  young  ploughmen  have  to  surmount 
when  learning  the  tilth  trade,  is  the  proper  way  to  "///*/ 
hintinsT  This  is  the  key-stone  of  the  business,  and 
ploughing-matches  are  always  decided  by  the  way  in  which 
this  is  done.  I  may  here  add,  that  it  is  never  those  who 
gain  prizes  at  the  art  of  Cain  who  are  the  most  useful 
ploughmen  to  the  farmer;  they  are  too  conceited,  always 
running  to  the  forge  with  their  airns^  and  still  flattering  and 
fattening  their  horses  ;  a  common  hand  is  always  worth  any 
two  of  these. 

HiPLocHs — The  coarse  wool  which  grows  about  the  hips  of 
sheep. 


HIR  HIV  271 

HiRPLE — To  walk  in  a  lame-like  manner. 

HiRR — The  call  to  a  dog  to  make  him  hunt 

HiRSLE — A  flock  of  animals;  also,  to  slide  softly  on  our  bottom. 

Hitch — A  noose,  a  knot,  a  turn  of  a  rope  round  any  thing. 

HiviNG-souGH — A  singular  sound  bees  are  heard  to  make 
before  they  hiz^  or  cast,  or  leave  their  parents,  Only  Bee- 
fowk  who  understand  the  nature  of  the  insect  well,  know 
any  thing  about  this  sough  or  sound.  It  is  commonly 
heard  the  evening  before  their  departure.  The  bee's 
bofiello  probably  it  may  be.  It  is  a  continued  buzzing 
hum,  full  of  melancholy-like  cadences.  While  on  bees,  I 
may  note  a  few  of  the  many  curiosities  respecting  them, 
unspoke  of  by  Virgil  in  his  Georges ;  Bonar,  or  any  one 
else.  When  a  swarm  intends  to  have  a  long  flight,  they 
gather  close  together  into  the  space  of  a  few  yards  square, 
or,  as  the  peasantry  say,  into  the  breath  0*  a  gude  grey  plaid. 
When  they  assume  this  figure,  it  is  vanity  to  follow  them. 
This  is  the  method  they  take  of  easing  their  flight,  a  plan 
Poet  Milton  discovered,  respecting  wild-geese,  and  other 
migrating  birds.  And  what  is  singular,  bees,  in  this  state, 
always  wing  their  way  right  against  the  wind;  now,  know 
they  where  they  intend  to  journey  to  before  they  start, 
or  fly  they  at  random  ?  If  they  know  the  place,  then  they 
must  look  out  for  a  fair  7vind,  though  with  us  that  is 
a  head  one,  in  present  maritime  law;  but  methinks,  at 
these  times  they  know  not  where  they  wander,  as  fre- 
quently they  alight  on  a  spot  open  to  the  elements,  and  so 
perish,  whereas  they  might  have  easily  found  a  snug  place. 
Bees,  taken  to  the  torrid  zone,  do  well  the  first  year,  but 
learning  there  is  no  winter,  but  summer  for  ever,  they  soon 
turn  lazy,  as  when  brought  from  the  Moorlands  to  the  Dale. 
Some  fancy  we  may  take  the  honey  from  them  without 
killing,  but  this  cannot  be  done.  Let  Boftar  reason  as  he 
will.     Mine  original  Mossie  Cloon  would  once  turn  a  Bee- 


272  HOA HOC 

mafiy  so  followed  one  through  the  countiy  awhile,  to  learn 
the  trade  of  taking  and  leaving  a  part  At  last  he  thought 
himself  fit  for  the  trick,  so  a  friend  would  let  him  try ;  a 
crowd  gathered  round,  and  Mossie  began  operations.  The 
bees  became  crusty;  out  they  rushed  in  legions,  vowing 
revenge.  The  mob  of  spectators  fled ;  friend  James  was 
indeed  the  last  to  fly^  but  had  to  do  it,  and  to  take  his 
bed  for  some  time  after,  being  so  stinged,  and  never  more 
would  he  profess  to  be  a  Bee-man, 

HoAST — To  cough ;  to  have  the  "  Hoast^  to  have  the  cold. 

Hobble — To  make  a  rocking  motion. 

HoBBLE-TE-HOY — An  Unfeeling  lad  towards  the  ladies — 

"  A  hohble-te-hoy, 

**  Neither  a  man  nor  a  boy.'' 

They  are  indeed  "  senseless  asses,  O,"  who  do  not  love 
the  sweetest  work  in  all  creation. 

HocH — The  back  of  the  leg. 

HocH  Anee  ! — An  exclamation  of  grief. 

O  !  what's  come  owre  my  Sa>\Tiie, 

Wha  auce  was  sae  blythe  and  free, 
And  what's  befa'en  Nanny, 

Wha  lo'ed  the  blink  o'  his  e'e ; 
Alas,  puir  chiel,  he  sank  in  a  wave, 

Awa  i'  the  foaming  sea, 
And  she  broke  her  heart,  and's  now  in  her  grave. 

Sad,  sad  news — //ocA  Afvie  1 

Whan  thegether  they  ay  war  funny, 

It  was  nice  to  see  them  sae  free. 
And  they  ran  on  the  braes  sae  sunny, 

That  haud  in  the  river  Dee  ; 
But  sinner'd  they  were  I  kenna  how. 

And  meikle  grief  they  did  dree, 
Till  they  war  ta'en  to  whar  they're  now. 

Sad,  sad  news — Hock  Anee  I 

And  sae  we  are  left  a  sobbing, 

The  tears  blob  in  the  e'e. 
The  heart  wi'  grief  is  throbbing. 

For  them  nac  mair  we'll  see  ; 
O  !  they're  fled  awa  and  left  our  shore, 

In  the  gude  place  may  they  be, 
Tho'  the  twasome's  fate  we'll  lang  deplore. 

Sad,  sad  news — I  loch  Anee! 


HOC   HOG  273 

Hoch-ban' — A  band  which  confines  one  of  the  legs  of  a  rest- 
less animal ;  it  passes  round  the  neck  and  one  of  the  legs. 

HocHLE — ^To  tumble  lewdly  with  women  in  open  day. 

« 
HoDDAN — ^To  have  a  kind   of  jog  when  either  walking  or 

riding. 

HoG-MA-NAY,  or  HuG-ME-NAY — ^The  last  day  of  the 
year.  Dr.  Jamieson,  with  a  research  that  would  have 
frightened  even  a  Murray  or  a  Scalinger  to  engage  in,  has 
at  last  owned,  like  a  worthy  honest  man  as  he  is,  that  the 
origin  of  this  term  is  quite  uncertain ;  and  so  should  I  say 
also,  did  I  not  like  to  be  throwing  out  a  hint  now  and 
then  on  various  things,  even  suppose  I  be  laughed  at  for 
doing  so. 

Then  here  I  give,  like  myself,  whom  am  a  being  of  small 
scholarcraft,  a  few  hindish  speculations  respecting  this 
mystic  phrase ;  to  be  plain,  I  think  hog-ma-nay  means 
hug-me-nom — Hawse  and  ney^  the  old  nurse  term,  meaning, 
"  kiss  me,  and  I'm  pleased,"  runs  somewhat  near  it :  ney  or 
nay^  may  be  a  variation  that  time  has  made  on  now. 
Kissing,  long  ago,  was  a  thing  much  more  common  than 
at  present.  People,  in  the  days  gone  by,  saluted  other  in 
churches,  according  to  Scripture,  with  holy  kisses ;  and  this 
smacking  system  was  only  laid  aside  when  priests  began  to 
see  that  it  was  not  Iwliness  alone  prompted  their  congrega- 
tions to  hold  up  their  gabs  to  one  another  like  Amous  dishes^ 
as  Bums  says.  And  in  "  ane  compendious  buik  o'  Godly  and 
Spiritual  Sangs^  for  the  avoiding  of  Sinne  and  Harlotree^^ 
printed  in  the  old  black  letter,  by  Andro  Harty  at  Edinburgh, 
in  1590,  the  song  of  "  yohn^  come  kiss  me  noufy*  made 
its  appearance  as  a  suitable  one  to  be  sung  in  the 
kirk— 

**  John,  come  kiss  me  now, 
"John,  come  kiss  me  now, 
"John,  come  kiss  me  by  and  by, 
"  And  mak  nae  mair  ado,"  &c. 

S 


274  HOG HOO 

At  weddings  too,  what  a  kissing  there  was ;  and  even  to 
this  day,  at  these  occasions  much  of  it  goes  on  :  and  on  the 
happy  nights  of  hog-ma-tiay,  the  kissing  trade  is  extremely 
brisk,  particularly  in  Auld  Reekie  ;  then  the  lasses  must  kiss 
with  all  the  stranger  lads  they  meet,  while  phrases  not  unlike 
to— 

"John,  come  kiss  me  now, 

or 

'*  John,  come  hug  me  «iw," 

are  frequently  heard  From  such  causes,  methinks,  hog- 
fna-nay  has  started.  The  hugging  day^  the  time  to  hug-me- 
now, 

HoG-scoRES — Distance-lines  in  the  game  of  curling.  They 
are  made  in  the  form  of  a  wave,  and  are  placed  one- 
fifth  part  of  the  whole  rink  from  either  witter  ;  that  is  to  say 
if  the  rink  be  fifty  yards  long,  from  tee  to  tee^  the  hog-scares 
of  that  rink  are  thirty  yards  distant  fi'om  other. 

If  the  bottom  of  a  stone  gets  over  this  "  score^^  and  its 
upper  bulb  not,  still  that  stone  is  no  "  hogg^  If  the  stones 
come  not  over  this  line,  they  are  flung  out  of  the  game. 
Sweeping  is  not  allowed  until  the  stone  conies  over  the  hogg^ 
unless  by  the  person  who  played  it. 

HoLiN  wi'  Hunger — Those  a-gnawing  with  hunger,  are 
said  to  be  ^^ holing  wf  hunger"  or  that  the  worms  are 
eating  up  their  empty  ^^ingangs,'  and  holing  their 
bodies. 

Hooch — A  shout  of  joy.  ^"^  Hooch  it's  like  a  uf adding^' 
shout  the  peasantry,  when  dancing,  making  their  heels 
crack  on  other  at  the  same  time.  Hooch  is  sure  to  inspire 
glee,  while  tribbling  Boh  Major^  or  cutting  double  quick 
titne.      This  call  is    considered    extremely    imlgar   by  the 


HOO HOO  275 

genteel,  but  what  the  devil  cares  the  honest  rustic  about  the 
genteel.  One  of  his  terms,  warm  from  the  heat  of  nature,  is 
worth  a  million  of  artful  gentilities  ;  it  carries  a  strong  sough 
always. 

HooDiCRAWS — Carrion,  or  grey-crows,  called  hoodicrawSy  for 
when  they  get  old,  they  become  white  in  colour  all  but 
the  feathers  of  the  head ;  these  keep  black,  and  look  as  if 
the  bird  had  on  a  cowl  or  hud.  About  wild  sea-shores, 
these  fowls  mark  the  outgoing  of  the  tide,  so  to  get  at  the 
shell-fish  called  wilk,  or  periwinkle,  a  kind  of  sea-snail, 
cased  in  a  strong  castle,  but  not  impregnable  to  the  hoodi- 
craw ;  he  lifts  them  into  the  air  thirty  or  forty  yards,  then 
entrusts  them  to  the  care  of  gravity,  which  brings  them 
crashing  down  on  the  rocks,  followed  close  by  the  voracious 
bird,  who  picks  up  the  uncastled  gentry  as  dainty  food  for 
the  gizzeron. 

The  whut-throat  or  weazle,  and  the  hoodie,  have  often 
bloody  wars  with  other  about  a  piece  of  food  they  both 
relish,  such  as  the  egg  of  a  hen.  Once,  Squire  Weazle 
seemed  rather  too  many  for  his  hudded  lordship,  who  flew 
up  into  the  air,  thinking  to  get  rid  in  that  element  of  his 
vicious  opponent ;  but  no,  the  weazle  would  keep  his  hold, 
fly  as  he  would,  and  as  high  as  he  pleased.  At  length, 
when  they  had  almost  got  above  the  clouds,  poor  hoodie  was 
beheld  coming  owre  t/ie  body  and  ou>re  tfu  body  to  the  earth  ; 
and,  on  going  up  to  where  they  fell,  there  was  the  crow 
lying  with  spread  wings,  quite  dead,  the  weazle,  with  its 
sharp  teeth,  having  nicked  the  wizen,  and  pumped  the  blood 
from  his  heart. 

HooLOCH,  or  HuRLOCH — A  hurl  of  stones,  an  avalanche. 
Boys  go  to  the  heughs  whiles  to  tumble  down  hoolochs, 
receiving  much  pleasure  from  seeing  them  roll  and  clanter 
down  the  steeps.      It  is  dangerous  sport  though,  for  some- 


276  HOS  HOW 

times  they  miss  the  balance,  and  make  part  of  the  hoolcch 
themselves. 

HosHENS — Hose  without  feet 

Hotter — A  person  over-run  with  vermin,  who  hatches. 

Hotter-bonnet — A  person  much  the  same  as  above. 

HoiTLE — Any  thing  which  has  not  a  firm  base  of  itself,  such 
as  a  young  child,  when  beginning  to  walk;  the  same  with 
iottle, 

HowDER — To  hide ;  also  a  game  at  saill-duddery, 

HowDiE — A  midwife.  Midwives  shine  respyectable  in  history 
from  the  days  of  Moses  downward  to  the  present  day. 
Anciently  in  Scotland,  the  superstitious  made  some  observes 
respecting  them — 

"  For,  Wattie*s  mare  stood  still,  and  swat  wi*  fright, 
"  Whan  she  brought  east  the  *  hatodie*  un'emight," 

says  Allan  Ramsay. 

HowK — ^To  dig. 

HowM — Flat  pieces  of  land  by  a  river  or  bum-side. 

How*s  A*  ? — A  common  salutation. 

HowsPEAKiNG — Speaking  like  ventriloquists,  from  the  belly,  as 
it  were.  Bums  has  death  speaking  this  way.  "  He  spak 
right  hauf,  My  name  is  Death,"  &c.  Country  folk  say  of 
those  who  speak  this  way,  "  that  they  speak  as  if  the  soun' 
cam  out  o*  a  hogyetP 

HowTS — Huts.  The  word  which  sometimes  prefaces  one 
thing,  sometimes  another;  such  as,  hcnvts — nonsense; 
howts — ay  ;  and  so  hmvts  means  a  something  between  yes 
and  no,  which  is  not  easy  to  express. 

How-wECHTs — Circular  implements,  of  sheep)-skin  stretched  on 
a  hoop,  used  about  bams  and  mills  to  lift  grain  and  such 
things  with.     See  Wechts. 


HUA  HUM  277 

HuAM — The  moan  of  the  owl  in  the  warm  days  of  summer; 
it  retires  into  the  darkest  recesses  of  woods,  and  continues 
repeating,  with  a  moaning  air,  ^^huamr  I  had  some 
work  before  I  found  the  sound  proceeded  from  the  owl; 
the  people  about  me  said,  as  their  ancestors  had  no  doubt 
done,  that  the  sound  "  was  the  humming  o'  bogles  i'  the 
dark  green  wud."     But  I  discovered  the  "  boggles,^^ 

HuDD — A  builder's  implement  for  bearing  mortar  on  the 
shoulder. 

HuDDERON — A  dirty,  ragged  person. 

Hugger  Muggerin — Doing  business  not  openly,  quibbling 
about  trifles,  and  raising  misunderstandings. 

Huldie — A  night-cap ;  see  Pimie, 

Hule — Some  will  have  hule  to  be  a  demon  of  some  kind  or 
other,  but  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  "  hule "  is  little  else 
but  another  way  of  mouthing  hell,  "  His  a  terrible  hule^ 
**He*s  a  hule's  boy,"  and  "Saw  ye  the  huleV^  these  phrases, 
for  instance,  may  all  be  explained  by  using  hell  instead  of 
hule,  Hule,  therefore,  does  not  express  any  kind  of  creature, 
unless  that  creature  be  a  moving  hell  of  itself. 

Hum-drum — A  person  of  careless  habits ;  one  who  pays 
attention  to  nothing  under  the  sun;  who  has  no  business, 
and  no  hobbies,  and  who  keeps  the  intellects  in  a  "  strait- 
jacket!^ 

Hummel'd — Chew'd  in  a  careless  manner. 

Hummock — ^The  fingers  of  the  hand,  put  so  together  by 
themselves,  that  the  tops  of  them  are  all  on  a  level  with 
one  another;  when  the  hand  is  cold,  it  is  impossible  to 
fling  the  fingers  into  this  form.  People  in  frosty  weather 
try  who  stands  cold  best,  by  the  way  the  hummock  can  be 
made.  This  word  and  tomack  are  connected,  they  both 
mean  little  hillocks. 


278  HUM  ILL 

Humph'd — Food  of  any  kind,  but  particularly  fresh  meat,  is 
said  to  be  humph' d,  when  it  has  a  putrid  taste  and  smell. 

Hums — Mouthfuls  of  chewed  matter. 

Hunker-slide — ^To  slide,  sitting  on  the  hams  or  hunkers, 
down  shuttles  d  ice,  or  braes,  made  sleek  by  a  basking  sun  ; 
young  people  slide  on  their  hunkers, 

HuRDON — A  big-hipped  woman. 

HuRROO — A  halloa.  A  noisy  hurry  started,  a  hurly-burly, 
a  hurluhrelu,  as  the  French  call  it;  and  the  Hottentots, 
hurrocks ;  a  murmuring  noise,  as  the  sea  surge  on  a  peebly 
shore.  How  wonderful  it  is  to  see  strange  tribes  of  man- 
kind, laying  hold  of  the  universal  language  of  nature  ! 

HuRSON — A  whoreson,  a  name  of  reproach. 

Hushie-baw-Babbie — The  cradle-song  to  babes. 

HusHOCK — A  loose  quantity  of  any  thing. 

HussocK — A  lump  of  hair. 

Huzzy — A  woman's  purse. 

Hyke — To  move  the  body  suddenly,  by  the  back  joint. 

HvvES — Rushes  which  come  out  at  times  on  the  skin  of 
infants;  the  most  dangerous  hives  are  those  which  come 
out  in  the  interior. — See  "  Bowell-hvi^,'' 

I. 

ICKER. — An  ear  of  corn. 

Idleset — A  turn  of  idleness. 

Ill-e'e — Some  people  are  yet  suspected  of  having  an  ill-ce, 
otherwise,  having  an  eye  hurtful  to  everything  it  looks  on. 
Blacksmiths  pretend  to  know  of  many  this  way,  and  will  not 
allow  them  to  stand  in  their  forges,  when  joining  or  wielding 
pieces  of  iron  together,  as  they  are  sure  of  loosing  the 
wauling  heat^  if  such  be  present. 


ILL  INJ  279 

Ill-gated — To  be  bad  inclined. 

Ill-Jaw — Bad  tongue,  or  bad  things  spoken  with  the  tongue. 

Ill-willy — Of  a  bad  disposition.  "  Ill-willy  kye  sud  hae  nae 
horns,"  as  the  Scotch  proverb  goes ;  and  which  means  that 
"  people  of  a  bad  disposition  should  have  no  hellish  weapons 
to  work  with." 

Imrie — The  scent  of  roasted  meat. 

Inch — Any  small  island,  such  as  the  **  Inch  d  the  Isky^  well 
known  to  wild  ducks ;  and  "  Inch  Keith^^  as  well  known  to 
the  natives  about  the  Firth  0  Forth, 

Ingleberries — Fleshy  wens,  which  grow  on  the  tender 
parts  of  oxen  ;  they  are  of  a  fiery  nature,  which  may  be 
the  cause  of  them  being  named  as  they  are  ;  when  cut  they 
bleed  profusely,  and  must  always  be  seared  off  with  a 
red  hot  iron. 

Injine — ^Genius.  We  say  of  any  with  a  dungeon  of  a  head, 
that  that  person  is  a  ^^  great  injine^  Bums  has  the  Banld 
Lapraik  d  Muirkirk,  an  tnjifie^  because  he  was  a  deacon  at 
song  making ;  and  I  hold  his  son  Geordy  Lapraik,  in  London, 
a  worthy  man,  if  not  an  injine  ;  he  is  quite  a  chip  of  the  old 
block,  whereas   the  eldest  son  of  Burns,  I   am  sorry  to  say 

is, no,  I  will  not  say  what     Our  Scotch  songs  are  all 

immense  flights  of  genius,  all  composed  by  persons  having 
injine:  they  are  mostly  of  a  melancholy  nature,  and  this 
lives  much  longer  than  mirth  ;  indeed,  a  tinge  of  melancholy 
gilds  every  thing  that  lives  long.  The  Duncan  Grey,  and 
Tarn  Glen,  of  Burns,  are  just  humorous  touches  of  melan- 
choly, the  same  as  Shakspeare's  comedies  are;  this  melan- 
choly then,  is  the  foundation  of  a  poet's  genius,  this  is  his 
injine,  "But  why  seek  to  know  (as  the  Swiss  philosopher 
says),  what  is  genius  ?  if  thou  hast  it,  thy  feelings  will  tell 
what  it  is ;  if  thou  hast  it  not,  thou  never  canst  know  it.     If 


28o  INK INW 

thou  art  calm  and  tranquil,  amid  the  works  of  nature,  and 
transports  of  music ;  if  thou  feelest  no  delirium,  no  exstacy ;  if 
thou  art  only  moved  with  pleasure,  at  what  should  transport 
thee  with  rapture ;  dost  thou  dare  to  ask  what  genius  is? 
profane  not,  vulgar  man,  that  name  sublime,  what  im- 
ports thee  to  know  what  thou  canst  never  feel." — 
Rousseau — sur  U  mot  genie,  on  the  word  genius.  O  !  that  I 
knew  what  it  was.  O !  that  I  had  injine :  but  alas ! 
poor  me  1 

Inks — On  muddy,  level  shores,  there  are  pieces  of  land  over- 
flowed with  spring  tides,  and  not  touched  by  common 
ones,  according  to  the  laws  of  nature;  on  these  grow 
a  coarse  kind  of  grass,  good  for  sheep  threatened  with  the 
rot;  this  saline  food  sometimes  cures  them.  When 
there  comes  a  roaring  spring  tide  before  a  storm,  its 
whirling  motion  washes  out  circular  holes  in  the 
sludge ;  these  are  left  filled  with  water,  which  soon  stag- 
nates, and  becomes  of  an  inky  colour,  but  I  do  not  think 
that  it  is  from  ink  the  word  inks  arises,  for  all  that ;  such 
land  is  called  linksy  in  various  districts  of  Scotland,  and 
I  am  inclined  to  fancy  the  word  derives  its  origin  firom 
some  ancient  tongue. 

Inleak — A  coming  in  of  measure. 

Innerlv  hearted — Of  a  feeling  disposition. 

Inns — ^Those  places  in  many  school  games  which  the  gaining 
side  hold;  to  obtain  the  innSy  is  the  object  of  these 
games. 

Inring — ^That  segment  of  the  surface  of  a  channlestone  which 
is  nearest  the  "  tee'^ 

Inwick — ^This  term  is  somewhat  different  from  inring;  to 
inwick  a  stone,  is  to  come  up  a  port  or  wick,  and  strike 
the  inring  of  a  stone  seen  through  that  wick;  now  this  is 
different  from  a  common  open  inring — the  two  are  often 
confounded   with   other,   but   they  are   quite  different ;  to 


IRK  JAW  281 

take  an  inunck,  is  considered  by  all  curlers,  the  fifiest  trick  in 
the  game. 

Irked — ^Teased,  forced  to  become  a  foe. 

Irr — to  call,  to  hunt  a  curr. 

IsH-wisH — ^The  call  on  the  cat  to  her  food. 

Is-Kiss — ^The  call  on  a  curr-dog  to  his  food. 

J. 

Jabble — ^A  slight  agitation  of  the  waters  of  the  sea,  with  the 
wind  j  small  irregular  waves,  and  running  in  all  directions  : 
such  a  state  of  the  ocean  makes  open  boat  navigation  some- 
times more  dangerous  than  if  the  swells  of  the  sea  were  larger. 

Jabbloch — Weak,  watery,  spirituous  liquors. 

Jaffled — Fatigued  looking,  down  in  body  and  clothes. 

Jag — To  prick ;  jag^ng^  pricking. 

Jamp — Did  leap. 

Jannerer — A  person  who  ever  talks,  and  all  he  says  in  the 
course  of  a  year  is  not  worth  a  gowkspittie, 

Jarble — An  old  tattered  garment 

Jaw — Insulting  language. 

Jawcked — Baffled  in  some  attempt,  deceived  with  hope, 

Jawhole — A  hole  out  of  kitchens,  where  all  refuse  is 
poured 

Jawped — Bespattered. 

Jaws — The  waves  of  the  sea,  when  they  rush  with  fury 
against  the  rocks  of  the  shore.  "Jaw,"  in  some  of  the 
ancient  tongues,  means  "pour;"  we  use  it  yet  for  that 
in  ours ;  %ojaws  may  mean  a  pouring  out,  or  a  wasting  of 
the  wrath  of  the  ocean. 


28o  INK  INW 

thou  art  calm  and  tranquil,  amid  the  works  of  nature,  and 
transports  of  music ;  if  thou  feelest  no  delirium,  no  exstacy ;  if 
thou  art  only  moved  with  pleasure,  at  what  should  transport 
thee  with  rapture ;  dost  thou  dare  to  ask  what  genius  is? 
profane  not,  vulgar  man,  that  name  sublime,  what  im- 
ports thee  to  know  what  thou  canst  never  feel." — 
Rousseau — sur  le  niot  genie^  on  the  word  genius.  O  !  that  I 
knew  what  it  was.  O !  that  I  had  injine :  but  alas ! 
poor  me  I 

Inks — On  muddy,  level  shores,  there  are  pieces  of  land  over- 
flowed with  spring  tides,  and  not  touched  by  common 
ones,  according  to  the  laws  of  nature ;  on  these  grow 
a  coarse  kind  of  grass,  good  for  sheep  threatened  with  the 
rot;  this  saline  food  sometimes  cures  them.  When 
there  comes  a  roaring  spring  tide  before  a  storm,  its 
whirling  motion  washes  out  circular  holes  in  the 
sludge ;  these  are  left  filled  with  water,  which  soon  stag- 
nates, and  becomes  of  an  inky  colour,  but  I  do  not  think 
that  it  is  from  ink  the  word  inks  arises,  for  all  that ;  such 
land  is  called  links,  in  various  districts  of  Scotland,  and 
I  am  inclined  to  fancy  the  word  derives  its  origin  from 
some  ancient  tongue. 

Inleak — A  coming  in  of  measure. 

Innerlv  hearted — Of  a  feeling  disposition. 

Inns — Those  places  in  many  school  games  which  the  gaining 
side  hold;  to  obtain  the  inns,  is  the  object  of  these 
games. 

Inring — That  segment  of  the  surface  of  a  channlestone  which 
is  nearest  the  "/^?^." 

Inwick — This  term  is  somewhat  different  from  inring;  to 
inwick  a  stone,  is  to  come  up  a  port  or  wick,  and  strike 
the  inring  of  a  stone  seen  through  that  7uick ;  now  this  is 
different  from  a  common  open  inring — the  two  are  often 
confounded   with   other,   but   they  are   quite  different ;  to 


IRK  JAW  281 

take  an  inuncky  is  considered  by  all  curlers,  the  fifiest  trick  in 
the  game. 

Irked — ^Teased,  forced  to  become  a  foe. 

Irr — to  call,  to  hunt  a  curr, 

IsH-wiSH — ^The  call  on  the  cat  to  her  food. 

Is-Kiss — ^The  call  on  a  curr-dog  to  his  food. 

J. 

Jabble — A  slight  agitation  of  the  waters  of  the  sea,  with  the 
wind ;  small  irregular  waves,  and  running  in  all  directions  : 
such  a  state  of  the  ocean  makes  open  boat  navigation  some- 
times more  dangerous  than  if  the  swells  of  the  sea  were  larger. 

Jabbloch — Weak,  watery,  spirituous  liquors. 

Jaffled — Fatigued  looking,  down  in  body  and  clothes. 

Jag — To  prick ;  Jagging,  pricking. 

Jamp — Did  leap. 

Jannerer — A  person  who  ever  talks,  and  all  he  says  in  the 
course  of  a  year  is  not  worth  a  gowkspittle, 

Jarble — ^An  old  tattered  garment 

Jaw — Insulting  language. 

Jawcked — Baffled  in  some  attempt,  deceived  with  hope. 

Jawhole — A  hole  out  of  kitchens,  where  all  refuse  is 
poured. 

Jawped — Bespattered. 

Jaws — The  waves  of  the  sea,  when  they  rush  with  fury 
against  the  rocks  of  the  shore.  "Jaw,"  in  some  of  the 
ancient  tongues,  means  "pour;"  we  use  it  yet  for  that 
in  ours ;  so  jaws  may  mean  a  pouring  out,  or  a  wasting  of 
the  WTath  of  the  ocean. 


282  JEA JER 

Jeamie's  hole — A  very  singular  hole  at  the  Borrowhtad ;  it 
goes  right  through  and  through  a  reef  of  rocks  :  the  tide  runs 
a  little  way  into  it. 

Jeegets  or  Shiegets — Little  sounding  boards,  pegs  and  wheels, 
in  a  piece  of  machinery,  such  as  a  mill.  I  heard  an  original 
say  once,  That  the  head  of  any  party  was  like  a  mill-dam^ 
grasping,  as  it  were,  all  the  little  streams  that  flow  into  it,  and 
by  lifting  the  sluich  board  when  any  emergency  appeared,  it 
flowed  down  on  the  tneikk  ivheel,  the  next  head,  the  which 
set  all  Xhtjegets  in  motion.  The  same  worthy  once  made  a 
remark  that  I  could  never  forget;  he  said,  that  the  old  Scottish 
proverb,  "  whafs  gude  to  gie  is  glide  to  keep^^  was  not  only- 
true  ;  but  "  what  was  glen  n'as  sometimes  not  worth  the  tak- 
ingy^ — though  thought  otherways  by  the  giver;  this  was  "  cast- 
ing  an  auid  coat  to  a  ////>  body,  but  afore  doing  sae,  to  set  to, 
and  cut  the  buttons  out  o't,"  which  rendered  the  present, 
indeed,  not  worth  the  taking. 

But  'tis  not  right,  as  the  old  Roman  distich  says, 

''auditaque  lingua. 


"  Auget,  &  ex  humili  tumulo  producit  olympum," 

Englished,  thus — 


**  Add  not  our  what  to  what  we  hear, 
"And  of  a  mole-hill  do  a  mountain  rear." 


Jennie  Spinner — A  toy ;  also  a  fly  with  long  legs  ;  a  spinner 
as  the  bard  of  Avon  calls  it. 

Jerkins — Meetings  or  gatherings  of  people  for  a  certain 
purpose ;  these  are  not  ancient ;  they  have  been  introduced 
by  the  Irish  intruders  some  time  ago;  they  are  called 
whiles  drinkings  and  whiles  tea  drinkings,  about  Dumfries  : 
a  poor  woman,  such  as  a  widow,  gets  some  tea  and 
whisky ;  she  then  awakens  the  country  to  her  meaning : 
some  fling  in  the  mite  to  her  jerkins,  but  go  not  thither, 
as  jerkins  are  truly  meetings  of  the  lou>  vulgar;  a  real 
Scot  won't  look  near  one  of  them;  they  are  commonly 
attended  by  full  bred  and  mongrel  Irish. 


JIB JIR  283 

JiBB — ^To  milk  closely. 

JiBBiNGS — ^The  last  milk  that  can  be  drawn  out  ot  a  cow's 
udder. 

JiCKERiNG — A  female  is  said  to  h^jickering  when  she  is  rather 
better  dressed  than  she  should;  "mair  braw  than  she  is 
fine." 

Jingle — To  ring,  or  the  sound  that  metals  make  when  moved 
together. 

Jink — To  make  quick  motions. 

Jinking's  Hen — A  hen  that  never  knew  the  cock;  me- 
taphorically used  for  an  old  maid — "  she  pined  awa  like 
yinkin's  hetiy' — saith  Nicholson  ;  the  old  maids  are  great 
fevourites  of  mine,  but  not  so  bachelors ;  listen  to  a 
maiden's  tongue,  in  the  Gallovidian  way,  of 

HAUD  AWA  FRAE  ME,  DONALD. 

Haud  awa,  hide  awa, 

Haud  awafrae  me,  Donald, 
Keep  your  hands  to  yoursell, 

Wha  can  suffer  thee,  Donald.  — Chorus. 

Ye  ha'e  cheated  mony  a  dear. 

But  ye  shall  ne'er  cheat  me,  Donald  ; 
Ye  hae  drawn  the  sobbing  tear, 

Frae  mony  a  downcast  e'e,  Donald. 

The  lassies  they  are  sairly  blamed, 

For  being  fause  a  wee,  Donald  ; 
But  that  ane  was  never  named. 

Could  lee  sae  base  as  thee,  Donald. 

Afore  I'd  be  a  wretch  like  thee, 

I'd  fling  mysell  i'e  sea,  Donald, 
Or  tak  a  rape  and  hing  me  hie. 

On  yon  auld  scruntet  tree,  Donald. 

-\nd  after  thou  had  graned  thy  last, 

Nae  corbie  wad  paik  thee,  Donald  ; 
The  hoodicraw  gude  faith  wad  fast. 

Or  thy  curst  flesh  she'd  prie,  Donald. 

To  live  and  die  an  auld  {jrey  maid. 

Be  naught  to  heeding  thee,  Donald  ; 
Was  I  a  man,  I'd  be  a  man, 

Sae  there's  the  last  o'  me,  Donald. 

JiRGiNG — The  noise  too  dry  shoes  make  when  walking 
with. 


284  JIR JOC 

JiRT — ^To  squirt 

J  ISP — A  stain,  or  a  piece  decayed  in  a  web  of  cloth. 

Jock — ^John ;  also  a  name  for  the  bull. 

JocKiE  Faw,  the  Gypsie  Laddie — A  celebrated  gypsie  who 
flourished    about  two  hundred  years    ago,   in    the   south 
of  Scotland.     Mention  is  made  of  him  in  various  traditions ; 
and  in  the  old  song  of  the  Annandale  Thieves^  honourabk 
notice    is  taken.      However,   he  himself   is    immortalized 
in    an    ancient  ballad,  in  which  he  is  the  hero  j    which 
informs  us  of  his  enticing  away  the  lady  of  Lord  Cassk 
in  Ayrshire ;  the  tale  says  he  gave  her  a  certain  kind  of 
gingery   which  cuist  such  a   glamaury    over    her,  that  she 
followed  the  gypsie  through  thick  and  thin ;  whether  this 
ginger  was  the  dodgell  reepan  ahready  spoken   of,  is   not 
known,  but  it  had  had  a  similar  effect  to  it     I  have  heard 
of  an  herb  of  the  daffie-dawn-dilly  stamp,  which,  if  got  into 
a  lady's  shoe,   that  lady  will  follow  the  herbalist   every- 
where; and  that  on  its  being  put  so  once,  when  the  lady 
had  to  take  off  her  shoes  for  the  purpose  of  wading  a  river, 
she  changed  her    notion    in   the    middle    of  the  stream, 
returned  to  the  bank,  extremely  vexed  with  herself  that  she 
had  been  so  foolish  ;  but  the  moment  she  put  on  her  shoes 
again,  the  tid  took  her,  and  made  her  wade  and  return,  and 
wade  again,   until   she  was   quite   exhausted.     But  to  my 
subject — Many  editions  of  the  song  of  the  Gypsie  Laddie 
have  now  been  given  the  world,  but  was  ever  this  one  of 
mine  given  ?     Never — And  I  believe  it  to  be  as  genuine  as 
any  that  have  ever  appeared  : — 

The  gypsies  they  came  to  Lord  Cassle's  yet, 

And  o  !  but  they  sang  ready, 
They  sang  sae  sweet  and  sae  complete. 

That  down  came  the  lord's  fair  lady. 

O  she  came  tripping  down  the  stair, 

Wi'  a*  her  maids  afore  her, 
And  as  soon  as  they  saw  her  weel  fared  face, 

They  cuist  their  glaumry  ower  her. 


JOC  JOC  28s 

She  gaecl  to  them  the  gude  white  bread. 

And  they  gaed  to  her  the  ginger. 
Then  she  gaed  to  them  a  far  brawer  thing, 

The  gowd  rings  af  her  finger. 

(Qno*  she)  to  her  maids,  "  there's  my  gay  mantle, 

**  And  bring  to  me  my  pkidy, 
'*  And  tell  my  lord  whan  he  comes  hame, 

**  I*m  awa  wi*  a  gypsie  laddie." 

For  her  lord  he  had  to  the  hounting  gane, 

Awa  in  the  wild  green  wuddie, 
And  Jockie  Faw,  the  gypsie  king, 

Saw  him  there  wi'  his  cheeks  sae  ruddy. 

On  they  mounted  and  af  they  rade, 

Ilk  gypsie  had  a  cuddy, 
And  whan  through  the  Stincher  they  did  prance. 

They  made  the  water  muddy. 

(Quo'  she)  '*  aft  times  this  water  I  hae  rade, 

"  Wi*  many  a  lord  and  lady, 
**  But  never  afore  did  I  it  wade, 

**  To  follow  a  gypsie  laddie." 

"  Aft  hae  I  lain,  in  a  saft  feather  bed, 

**  Wi'  my  gude  lord  aside  me, 
'*  But  now  I  maun  sleep  in  an  auld  reeky  kill, 

**  Alang  wi'  a  gypsie  laddie." 

Sae  whan  that  the  yirl  he  came  hame, 

His  servants  a'  stood  ready, 
Some  took  his  horse,  and  some  drew  his  boots. 

But  gane  was  his  fair  lady. 

And  whan  he  came  ben  to  the  parlour  door. 

He  asked  for  his  fair  lady, 
But  some  denied,  and  ithers  some  replied, 

**  She's  awa  wi'  a  gypsie  laddie." 

"  Then  saddle  "  (quoth  he)  **  my  gude  black  naig, 

**  For  the  brown  is  never  sae  speedy, 
**  As  I  will  neither  eat  nor  drink, 

"  Till  I  sec  my  fair  lady," 

**  I  met  wi'  a  cheel  as  I  rade  hame, 

"  And  thae  (jueer  stories  said  he, 
**  Sir,  I  saw  this  day  a  fairy  queen, 

**  Fu'  pack  wi'  a  gypsie  laddie." 

**  I  hae  been  east  and  I  hae  been  west, 

**  And  in  the  lang  town  o*  Kircadie, 
**  But  the  bonniest  lass  that  ever  I  saw, 

**  Was  following  a  gypsie  laddie." 

Sae  his  lordship  has  rade  owre  hills  and  dales. 

And  owre  mony  a  wild  hie  mountain. 
Until  that  he  heard  his  ain  lady  say, 

**  Now  my  lord  will  be  hame  frae  the  hounting." 


286  JOC  JOC 

**  Than  will  ye  come  hame  my  hinnie  and  my  love, 

((^uoth  he)  to  his  charming  dearie, 
**  And  I'll  keep  ye  ay  in  a  braw  close  room, 

**  Where  the  gypsies  will  never  can  steer  ye.*' 

(Said  she)  "  I  can  swear  by  the  sun  and  the  stars, 

**  And  the  moon  whilk  shines  sae  clearly, 
**  That  I  am  as  chaste  for  the  gjrpsie  Jockie  Faw, 
*  As  the  day  my  minnie  did  bear  me." 

**  Gif  ye  wad  swear  by  the  sun,"  (said  he) 
**  And  the  moon  till  ye  would  deave  me, 

**  Ay  and  tho*  ye  wad  take  a  far  bigger  aiih, 
•*  My  dear  I  wadna  believe  ye." 

**  V\\  tak  ye  hame,  and  the  gypsies  I'll  hang, 

*'  Ay  I'll  make  them  gim  in  a  wuddie, 
**And  afterwards  I'll  bum  Tockie  Faw, 

**  Wha  fashed  himself  wi  my  fair  lady. " 

(Quoth  the  gypsies)  **  we're  fifteen  weel  made  men, 

**  Tho'  the  maist  o'  us  be  ill  bred  ay, 
**  Yet  it  wad  be  a  pity  we  should  a'  hang  for  ane, 

**  Wha  fashed  himself  wi'  your  fair  lady." 

Quoth  the  lady,  **  my  lord  forgive  them  a', 

**  For  they  nae  ill  e'er  did  ye, 
**  And  gae  ten  guineas  to  the  chief  Jockie  Faw, 

**  ¥oT  he  is  a  worthy  laddie." 

The  lord  he  hearkened  to  his  fair  dame. 

And  o  !  but  the  gypsies  were  glad  ay. 
They  danced  round  and  round  their  merry  Jockie  Faw, 

And  roosed  the  gypsie  laddie. 

Sae  the  lord  rade  hame  wi'  his  charming  spouse, 
Owre  the  hills  and  the  haughs  sae  whunnie. 

And  the  gypsies  slade  down  by  yon  bonny  bum  side. 
To  beek  themsells  there  sae  sunnie. 

Jock  Mulldroch — A  fellow  who  lived  at  Craigiuaggie, 
Galloway,  once,  perhaps  about  150  years  ago.  Tradition 
says  that  he  laid  eggs^  ay  eggs,  larger  than  goose  eggs,  and 
strangely  spreckled  black  and  yellow;  he  used  to  cackle 
too  after  he  laid  them,  which  was  on  a  truff  laft  amang  a 
wheen  breckans ;  sometimes  he  was  called  Craigivaggi^ s 
vieikle  chuckle ;  once  a  fortnight  he  is  said  to  have  produced 
an  egg,  and  his  mother,  after  having  sold  a  few  of  them  as 
bonny  goose  eggs,  she  set  a  couple  of  them  beneath  a  braitf 
tappend  hen  to  clock.  Long  and  dreich  did  the  favourite 
chucky  of  Lucky  Muildroch  sit  on  them  before   they  were 


JOC JOW  287 

hatched;  at  length  they  chipped^  and  out  came  two  little 
lads  clad  in  green,  and  under  the  gudavif^s  care  they 
thrave,  and  were  well  known  long  over  the  south  of  Scot- 
land by  the  title  of  the  Birlies,  WillU  and  Wattie  Birly 
were  well  liked  by  every  body ;  they  were  something  in  the 
nature  of  brownUs^  or  rather  mangrell  fairies.  They  van- 
ished away  though,  and  after  the  year  fortyy  the  year  of 
the  lang  storm ^  they  never  were  heard  of ;  some  think  they 
sank  in  a  snaw  wride,  and  afterwards  into  a  Qua, — See 
Quaking  Qua. 

Jock-tae-Leg — Jock  with  the  ofu  leg ;  a  large  knife  for  kitchen 
use. 

JoLLOCK — Jolly,  fat,  healthy,  and  hearty. 

JoRGLE — The  noise  of  broken  bones. 

JoR INKER — A  bird  of  the  tit-mouse  species ;  its  name  is  its 
cry. 

JoTTRELL — Any  thing  about  to  fall  in  pieces. 

JouK — To  avoid  a  blow  by  an  active  turn;  also  to  conceal 
on  a  sudden. 

Jow — A  driving  sound  as  it  were ;  a  swing  attended  with  a 
sound ;  it  is  hard  to  express  the  full  meaning  oi  jow.  After 
the  sad  battle  for  Scotland  oi  Flodden  Fields  when  the  ^^flo7vers 
of  the  forest  war  a'  wed  away,'  fought  9th  September,  15 13, 
on  the  news  coming  to  Edinburgh  next  day  of  the  disaster, 
the  magistrates  gave  out  a  proclamation,  that  the  inhabitants 
were  to  get  ready  their  **  fensabil  geir  and  wapponis  for  weir," 
and  appear  before  them  at  the  jowing  of  the  common  Toll- 
booth-^^//.  This  is  about  the  first  time  joaving  appears  in 
print.  Burns  has  the  bells  in  his  Holy  Fair  "  began  to  jow 
and  croon,"  swing  and  sound,  yow  and  show,  I  dare  say 
are  twins ;  and  shcicf  and  shove  are  one.  Shuggie  show,  a 
"  shaking  shove."-    \Vc  say  of  the  sea,  whiles  m  a  stoimy  day, 


288  JUG JYP 

that  the/tfwj  of  it  are  comings  jomf^  in,  rolling  on  the  rocks 
and  roaring. 

Juggle — ^To  shake. 

JuGGS — Little  decanters. 

JUMM — A  noise  of  a  singular  nature ;  it  is  a  deep  hollow  sound, 
which  comes  from  the  wild  rocks  of  a  seashore  in  the  time 
of  a  storm,  when  the  ocean  is  highly  agitated ;  it  forms  as  it 
were  the  bass  to  a  sounding  surf,  and  is  heard  by  a  keen 
naturalist  to  be  a  sound  distinct  by  itself ;  it  is  not  the  sound 
of  the  troubled  waters^  nor  the  sound  of  the  hurling  pedfUs^ 
but  the  sound  that  these  combined  draw  out  of  the  rocks 
by  striking  them ;  it  is  one  of  the  wildest  and  most  awful 
sounds  in  nature  ;  it  is  just  fumnty  jumtn^  on  a  high  and  tre- 
mendous key. 

JuMMLiE — Sediment  of  ale. 

Jumpers — Little  maggots,  which  leap ;  common  in  hams. 

JUNDiE — ^A  blow. 

JuNRELLS — Large  irregular  masses  of  stone,  or  other  hard 
matter. 

JUNT — A  large  quantity  of  liquid  of  any  kind,  but  how  largt  is 
not  yet  determined.  Gowdie^  the  cow,  gives  zjunt  of  milk, 
but  we  know  not  how  much  that  is,  though  we  are  aware  it 
is  a  considerable  deaL     Junt,  too,  is  understood  to  be  more 

than  expected. 
JuRR — The  noise  a  small  water-fall  makes,  when  it  falls  among 

loose  stones  and  gravel. 
Jute — Sourish  ale. 
JUTTLE — To  shake  liquids. 
JvBE — To  taunt. 
JvPLE — A  person  with  clothes  badly  made. 


KAT KEB  289 

K. 

Kail — Colewort ;  also  broth. 

Kail-brose — A  mixture  of  the  oily  scum  which  gathers  on  the 
he  side  of  the  broth  pot,  and  oatmeal. 

Kailgully — A  large  knife  for  cutting  vegetables. 

Kailrunt — ^The  stalk  of  a  colewort ;  a  full-grown  colewort. 

Kaim-cleaners — In  old  houses,  by  the  side  of  the  fire-place, 
horse-hair  is  found  stuck  in  the  holes  of  the  "  standards " 
of  wood  which  support  the  old  walls  ;  this  hair  was  used 
for  cleaning  combs.  A  person  once  told  me,  "  that  there 
was  a  bunch  of  hair  for  this  purpose  drilled  into  the  hole 
of  an  oak  beam,  in  an  old  house  he  lived  in  ;  and  that  this 
hair,  though  frequently  cut  with  a  knife  close  to  the  wood, 
soon  grew  out  again  as  long  as  ever."  From  this,  one  may 
think  that  oak  will  give  life  to  hair :  the  same  person  said 
"  that  if  one  be  buried  in  an  oak  coffin,  the  hair  won't 
decay  like  the  other  matters  belonging  to  the  body,  but 
continue  to  grow."  These  things  must  be  better  investigated, 
though  I  have  heard  that  the  nature  of  hair  has  puzzled  able 
heads. 

K  AIMS — Honey-combs. 

Kain — Tithe-money,  or  money  that  seems  to  be  needful  to 
pay. 

Kauch — To  be  in  a  kaiichy  to  be  in  an  extreme  flutter, 
not  knowing  which  way  to  turn ;  over  head  and  ears  in 
business. 

Kave — ^To  clean  ;  to  have  the  com,  to  separate  the  straw  from 
the  com  ;  there  is  much  art  in  having  grain. 

Keb — A  blow. 

Keb-Ewes — Ewes  that  have  lost  their  lambs,  so  fattened  for 

butchers. 

r 


292  KEL KEL 

Third  kelpie — 

Alive  she  is,  T  heard  her  sigh, 
Bear  her  up  in  air  high, 
If  she  be  a  virgin  blooming. 
Free  from  art,  unassuming, 
Surely  to  her  we  will  give 
The  fluid  whereupon  to  live  ; 
But  if  she  be  not  so, 
Down  the  torrent  she  shall  go, 
Like  the  rotten  sheep  to  hell, 
None  but  maids  can  break  our  spell. 

Fourth  kelpie — 

I  low  loving  is  she,  fair,  fair. 
What  locks  of  yellow  hair  ; 
These  are  eyes  none  but  a  maid. 
Ever  had,  ever  had. 
We  will  guard  her  from  the  storm. 
We  shall  save  her  gay  form. 
We  shall  nurse  her  in  the  sun, 
And  round  alx)ut  her  radiance  run  ; 
We  all  know  how  she  came 
To  us  so  devoid  of  shame. 
Cease  storms,  calm  your  blowing, 
Silence,  hail,  give  over  snowing  ; 
Peace  be  to  the  roaring  ford. 
Until  again  we  give  the  word. 

Kelton-H ill-Fair — This  is  one  of  the  largest  meetings 
or  gatherings  of  Gallovidians  that  are  to  be  met  with. 
This  fair  is  held  on  a  day  about  Midsummer,  ever>'  year, 
on  rising  ground  beside  the  dauchan  of  Rhonhouse^  in  the 
parish  of  Kelton.  At  this  fair  one  is  gratified  with  a  sight  of 
the  peasantry  of  both  Scotland  and  Ireland ;  and  here  may 
sometimes  be  lifted  a  tolerable  idea  of  the  Dotwyhrook 
of  Erin,  or  Ballinasioe  -,  at  one  time  in  danger  of  having 
the  scull  bared  with  a  cudgel ;  at  other  times  hemmed  in, 
as  it  were,  with  roivly-pinoly  men,  fling  sticks ,  and  s^veetie- 
wives.  Then  the  ears  get  charmed  with  the  hoarse  throats 
of  ballad  singers,  and  not  unfrequendy  nearly  rode  over 
with  horse-jockics.  And  all  this  humbug  and  justling  com- 
bined form  the  best  of  fun ;  one  gets  delighted.  Ten- 
nanfs  Anster  rather  seems  flatter  than  the   reality,  though 


KEN  KEP  293 

sometimes  we  see  with  the  drollish  poet.  \\Tiile  the  scenes 
thicken,  the  tents  get  crowded  ;  whisky  is  skihed  over  Hke 
whey;  bonny  lasses  are  to  be  met  with,  who  cling  round  one 
like  binwiid ;  and  who  would  not  cling  to  them  in  return, 
sweet  souls?  For  an  hour  or  two  of  bustling  nonsense, 
then,  I  know  of  few  places  where  it  is  to  be  had  in  greater 
perfection  than  at  Kelton-hill-fair. 

Kend  Grun — Land  we  are  acquainted  with ;  yet  some- 
times we  wander  on  kend  grun  in  misty  nights,  and  walk 
fast  until  we  entirely  bewilder  ourselves ;  in  such  trying 
times,  it  is  the  best  plan  to  sit  down  in  some  dry  beil, 
until  more  light  be  flung  on  the  subject.  Writers,  too, 
when  they  leave  kend  grun,  are  apt  to  go  wrong,  if  they 
have  not  a  genius  of  a  vast  nature  to  bring  them  back ; 
they  are  like  navigators  having  lost  all  reckoning  in  the 
midst  of  a  dreary  ocean.  Small  wits,  like  myself,  should 
never  launch  largely  out  to  sea,  but  keep  dabbling  about 
the  shores ;  for  if  we  try  to  flash  with  witches  and  ghosts 
beyond  the  cloud,  like  Shakespeare,  or  soar,  like  Milton, 
into  regions  far  beyond  our  knowledge,  we  are  apt  to  rue 
the  day  we  ever  left  kend  grun.  But,  as  1  said  when  1 
began  this  subject,  we  may  wander  even  on  kend  grun  ;  so  1 
may  run  myself  wrong  in  Gallinuay  a  land  I  meet  ken, 

Kknk — To  cough,  having  a  severe  cough.  Kenkhoast,  the  chin- 
cough.  To  cure  this,  the  mothers  put  their  children  through 
the  happers  of  mills,  when  they  fancy  it  leaves  them. 

Kent — A  large  long  staff";  also  a  tall  person. 

Kep — To  intercept,  so  as  to  catch  ;  but  the  word  does  not  go 
so  far  as  some  will  have  it,  of  absolute  catching ;  kepping 
is  nothing  more  than  "opposing  and  wearing;'^  "  he  kepped 
the  ball "  means,  he  so  weared  in  the  ball  with  his  hands, 
that  he  got  hold  of  it. 


294  KER KER 

Kermont,    the    Tanner  —  A    good    composer    of    songs, 
and  a  Gallovidian  bom  and  bred  I  believe.     He  is  a  tanner 
by  trade,  and  wrought   some  time  at    Mr.  Grayson's   tan- 
neree,  Kirkcudbright,  but  has  removed  from  thence  some 
years  ago,  and  gone  to  Newton   Stewart.      His  songs  art 
very  natural,  and  contain  some  good  strokes  of  humour 
1  could  name  twenty  persons  and  more  in  the   south  c 
Scotland  who  write  songs,  but  then  their  effusions  are  s« 
made  up   of  art,   that   I    refrain   from   speaking   of  then* 
Kermont,  though,  methinks  is  an  exception.      His  **  Lam- 
mas Fair'^  is  a  good  song,  but  his  '•^  Laury  o^  Broomy  Sir" 
is  famous.      Some  say  he  got  help  to  compose  it,   but  I 
do  not  think  so.     I  shall  give  it  here  as  a  curiosity.     The 
song  of  "  Cankerd  King  Cowan,^'  \witten  by  an  Irishmars 
for  a  Gallovidian  lay,  and  this  song  of  Laury  d  Broom 
done  in  the  Irish  style^  by  a  Gallovidian,  are  things  vei 
amusing — 

LAURY  CV  BROOM,  SIR. 

I  am,  do  ye  hear  me,  a  weaver  to  trade. 

And  my  name  it  is  l^uiy  o'  Broom,  Sir, 
My  father  he  died,  left  me  all  that  he  had, 

Hoch  !  a  gco:l  breeding  sow  and  a  loom,  Sir. 
1  lived  quite  happy  a  very  short  space, 
Thtn  1  married  a  wife  who  soon  altered  the  case, 
She  black'd  both  my  eyes,  and  she  spat  in  my  face. 

It  was  tight  times  for  I^iiry  O'Broom,  Sir. 

I  thought  to  myself,  that  this  would  not  long  do. 

My  passion  1  could  not  well  smother. 
So  I  instantly  sold  off  my  loom  and  my  sow, 

And  I  packed  the  wife  home  to  her  mother. 
Being  thus,  then,  set  free,  1  for  Scotland  did  steer, 
I  left  the  sweet  place  that  was  once  to  me  dear. 
Whilst  grief  in  my  bosom  was  like  to  go  tear 

The  heart  of  poor  Laury  O'Broom,  Sir. 

On  a  staff  o'er  my  shoulder  my  bundle  I  slung, 

My  figure  was  one  of  the  oddest, 
I  did  not  know  which  was  the  right  road  or  wrong. 

But  I  stuck  to  the  one  that  was  broadest. 
And  at  length  I  arrived  at  Donachadie, 
Where  I  foun<l  to  my  grief  I  was  stopp'd  by  the  sea. 
Then  I  wish'd  I'd  had  wings,  like  the  swallow,  to  flee, 

What  a  bird  would  be  Laury  O'Broom,  Sir. 


KER KER  295 

But  I  got  aboard  of  a  tight  little  smack, 

Just  afraid's  I'd  been  bound  for  the  gallows, 
Yet  to  keep  up  my  spirits,  I  sang  **  Paddywhack," 

As  she  toss'd  o'er  the  turbulent  billows. 
At  length  I  grew  sick,  and  was  like  to  go  die, 
My  belly  of  meat  it  was  empty,  quite  dry, 
Hoch  !  I  lay  all  besmeared,  like  a  pig  in  a  sty, 

And  "A  Doctor,"  cried  Laury  O'Broom,  Sir. 

But  the  winds  and  the  waters  gave  over  to  roar, 

And  I  mended,  and  jumped  on  deck.  Sir, 
Then  went  up  the  mast-ladder,  to  view  Ireland  once  more, 

To  the  danger  and  risk  of  my  neck.  Sir. 
Tho',  alas  !  dear  Hibernia  was  hid  from  my  view, 
I  was  damn'd  to  come  down  by  the  captain  and  crew. 
Then  I  thought  on  my  wife,  and  my  loom  and  my  sow  ; 

But  far  distant  was  Laury  O'Broom,  Sir. 

Then  I  found  out  the  place  where  the  "ship's  clock  "  it  lay. 

But  'twas  too  much  for  my  comprehending, 
I  asked  at  the  **  skipper"  the  time  of  the  day. 

But  he,  smiling,  replied,  she  was  standing. 
The  **  sea-travel'  seem'd  very  lonesome  to  me. 
Because  not  a  mile-stone  I  ever  could  see. 
Nor  an  ale-house  to  call  at  from  Donachadie, 

To  cheer  up  poor  Laury  O'Broom,  Sir. 

At  the  quay  of  the  port,  then,  we  got  to  at  last. 

And  our  big  flying  sheets  we  did  lower.  Sir, 
I  thought  all  my  perilous  dangers  were  past. 

When  I  got  with  my  brogues  to  the  shore,  Sir, 
A  "  tenpcnnie  "  paid  for  my  passage,  and  then 
I  shouldcr'd  my  bundle  and  cudgell  again. 
Ha,  honey,  farewell,  said  the  captain  and  men, 

I'm  your  servant,  quoth  Laury  O'Broom,  Sir. 

So  the  smack  then  I  left,  as  you  easily  guess, 

And  took  a  walk  looking  about  me, 
A  man  he  gives  two  or  three  peeps  at  my  dress, 

And  thus  he  l)egan  to  salute  me  : — 
Do  you  know  what  the  "  croppies  "  in  Ireland  do  now. 
Or  whether  their  numbers  be  many,  or  how  ? 
By  my  soul,  neither  croppies  nor  Ireland  I  know, 

I'm  a  Scotchman,  says  Laury  O'Broom,  Sir. 

But  quoth  he,  you're  a  croppie  by  the  **  cut  of  your  hair ;" 

This  struck  me  with  terror  and  wonder. 
So  I  instantly  flung  up  his  heels  in  the  air, 

Hoch  !  I  laid  him  as  flat  as  a  flounder. 
Then  ofi"  I  did  run,  till  I  came  to  Glenluce, 
As  frightened 's  a  crow,  and  as  dizzy's  a  goose, 
And  whenever  a  person  pec]>'d  out  of  a  house, 

I'm  a  madman,  cried  Laury  O'Broom,  Sir. 


294  KER KER 

Kermont,    the    Tanner  —  A    good    composer    of    songs, 
and  a  Gallovidian  bom  and  bred  I  believe.     He  is  a  tanner 
by  trade,  and  wrought   some  time  at    Mr.  Grayson's  tan- 
neree,  Kirkcudbright,  but  has  removed  from  thence  some 
years  ago,  and  gone  to  Newton  Stewart.      His  songs  an 
very  natural,  and  contain  some  good  strokes  of  humour 
I  could  name  twenty  persons  and  more  in  the  south  c 
Scotland  who  write  songs,  but  then  their  effusions  are  si 
made  up  of  art,   that   I   refrain   from  speaking  of  then* 
Kermont,  though,  methinks  is  an  exception.      His  ^^  Lam- 
mas Fair^^  is  a  good  song,  but  his  ^^  Laury  <f  Broom,  St'r" 
is  famous.      Some  say  he  got  help  to  compose  it,  but  I 
do  not  think  so.     I  shall  give  it  here  as  a  curiosity.     The 
song  of  "  Cankerd  King  Cmuan^*  written  by  an  Irishmar 
for  a  Gallmidian  lay,  and  this  song  of  Laury  d   Broom 
done  in  the  Irish  style,  by  a  Gallovidian,  are  things  vei 
amusing — 

LAURY  CV  BROOM,  SIK. 

• 

I  am,  do  ye  hear  me,  a  weaver  to  trade. 

And  my  name  it  is  I^ury  o*  Broom,  Sir, 
My  father  he  died,  left  me  all  that  he  had, 

I  loch  !  a  gcoA  breeding  sow  and  a  loom,  Sir. 
I  lived  quite  happy  a  very  short  space, 
Then  1  married  a  wife  who  soon  altered  the  case. 
She  black'd  both  my  eyes,  and  she  spat  in  my  face, 

It  was  tight  times  for  l^iiry  O'Broom,  Sir. 

I  thought  to  myself,  that  this  would  not  long  do, 

My  passion  1  could  not  well  smother. 
So  I  instantly  sold  off  my  loom  and  my  sow, 

And  I  packed  the  wife  home  to  her  mother. 
Being  thus,  then,  set  free,  1  for  Scotland  did  steer, 
I  left  the  sweet  place  that  was  once  to  me  dear, 
Whilst  grief  in  my  bosom  was  like  to  go  tear 

The  heart  of  poor  l^ury  O'Broom,  Sir. 

On  a  staff  o'er  my  shoulder  my  bundle  I  slung. 

My  figure  was  one  of  the  oddest, 
I  did  not  know  which  was  the  right  road  or  wrong, 

But  I  stuck  to  the  one  that  was  broadest. 
And  at  length  I  arrivetl  at  Donachadie, 
Where  I  found  to  my  grief  I  was  stopp'd  by  the  sea. 
Then  I  wish'd  I'd  had  wings,  like  the  swallow,  to  flee, 

W'hat  a  bird  would  be  Laury  O'Broom,  Sir. 


KER KER  29s 

But  I  got  aboard  of  a  tight  little  smack, 

Just  afraid's  I*d  been  oound  for  the  gallows. 
Yet  to  keep  up  my  spirits,  I  sang  **  Paddywhack," 

As  she  toss VI  o'er  the  turbulent  billows. 
At  length  I  grew  sick,  and  was  like  to  go  die, 
My  belly  of  meat  it  was  empty,  quite  dry, 
I  loch  !  I  lay  all  besmear'd,  like  a  pig  in  a  sty. 

And  **  A  Doctor,"  cried  Laury  O'Broom,  Sir. 

But  the  winds  and  the  waters  gave  over  to  roar. 

And  I  mended,  and  jumped  on  deck.  Sir, 
Then  went  up  the  mast-ladder,  to  view  Ireland  once  more, 

To  the  danger  and  risk  of  my  neck.  Sir. 
Tho',  alas  !  dear  Hibernia  was  hid  from  my  view, 
I  was  damn*d  to  come  down  by  the  captain  and  crew. 
Then  I  thought  on  my  wife,  and  my  loom  and  my  sow  ; 

But  far  distant  was  Laury  O'Broom,  Sir. 

Then  I  found  out  the  place  where  the  **  ship's  clock  "  it  lay. 

But  'twas  too  much  for  my  comprehending, 
I  asked  at  the  **  skipper"  the  time  of  the  day, 

But  he,  smiling,  replied,  she  was  standing. 
The  "sea-travel'  seem'd  very  lonesome  to  me. 
Because  not  a  mile-stone  I  ever  could  see. 
Nor  an  ale-house  to  call  at  from  Donachadie, 

To  cheer  up  poor  Laury  O'Broom,  Sir. 

At  the  quay  of  the  port,  then,  we  got  to  at  last. 

And  our  big  flying  sheets  we  did  lower.  Sir, 
I  thought  all  my  perilous  dangers  were  past. 

When  I  got  with  my  brogues  to  the  shore,  Sir, 
A  **  tenpennie  "  paid  for  my  passage,  and  then 
I  shoulder'd  my  bundle  and  cudgell  again. 
Ha,  honey,  farewell,  said  the  captain  and  men, 

I'm  your  servant,  quoth  Laury  O'Broom,  Sir. 


So  the  smack  then  I  left,  as  you  easily  guess. 

And  took  a  walk  looking  about  me, 
A  man  he  gives  two  or  three  peei>s  at  my  dress. 

And  thus  he  began  to  salute  me  : — 
Do  you  know  what  the  **  croppies  "  in  Ireland  do  now. 
Or  whether  their  numbers  be  many,  or  how  ? 
By  my  soul,  neither  croppies  nor  Ireland  I  know, 

I'm  a  Scotchman,  says  Laury  O'Broom,  Sir. 

But  quoth  he,  you're  a  croppie  by  the  **  cut  of  your  hair ;" 

This  struck  me  with  terror  and  wonder. 
So  I  instantly  flung  up  his  heels  in  the  air, 

Hoch  !  I  laid  him  as  flat  as  a  flounder. 
Then  ofl"  I  did  run,  till  I  came  to  Glenluce, 
As  frighlcneil's  a  crow,  and  as  dizzy's  a  goose. 
And  whenever  a  person  peej)'d  out  of  a  house, 

I'm  a  madman,  cried  Laury  O'Broom,  Sir. 


296  KER KER 

Being  wearied  at  last  tho*,  I  stopp'd  at  an  inn. 

The  head  public-house  in  the  place.  Sir, 
I  popp'd  in  to  the  parlour,  and  called  for  some  gin. 

The  people  stood  all  in  amaze,  Sir. 
So  I  told  I  was  a  nobleman's  son  in  discriise. 
But  the  landlady  told  me  my  story  was  Ties, 
Sweet  Paddy  for  ever,  the  landlord  he  cries, 

And  out  he  kicked  Laury  O'Broom,  Sir. 

From  that  hell  of  a  shop,  then,  I  soon  did  dismiss, 

And  thought  on  my  loom  and  my  sow,  Sir, 
My  wife,  tho*  the  devil,  was  nothing  to  this. 

And  a  sigh  from  my  bosom  she  drew,  Sir. 
The  scenes  of  my  youth  then  came  fresh  in  my  miml. 
My  little  turf  hut,  where  once  happiness  reigned, 
Hoch  !  Fortune  thou'rt  fickler  far  than  the  wind. 

How  ye  change  with  poor  Laury  O'Broom,  Sir. 

My  spirits,  however,  I  keeped  up  still. 

And  pass'd  o*er  the  wild  Corse  o'  Slakes,  Sir, 
A  fellow  came  up  and  cried  **  clean  Kelton-hill," 

We  went  into  a  **  tent,"  soon,  of  stakes,  Sir. 
The  whisky  came  round,  there  I  drank  and  I  sang. 
The  boxing  began,  and  the  cudgells  they  rang. 
And  right  m  the  stomach  I  got  such  a  bang, 

That  hearted  poor  Laury  O'Broom,  Sir. 

But  soon  I  came  to,  and  my  mother  o'  the  sloe, 

I  whacked  about  with  my  might.  Sir, 
And  or  I  knew  rightly  a  friend  from  a  foe, 

My  wrists  were  in  u\efiiptre  eighty  Sir. 
So  some  then  did  kick  me,  and  some  did  me  trail, 
I  wished  that  my  coat  had  been  a  coat  of  mail. 
So  snugly  just  here  in  Kircubrie's  old  jail. 

At  last  they've  got  Laury  O'Broom,  Sir. 

Iloh,  Fortune,  you've  blown  me  a  damnable  bla^t, 

And  my  folly  you  near  make  me  rue,  Sir, 
I  wish  I  was  o  er  the  "  long  bridge  o'  Belfast," 

Again  to  my  loom  and  my  sow,  Sir. 
For  hunger  at  home  and  a  day  whiles  of  strife, 
Between  a  poor  boy  and  a  hell  of  a  wife, 
Are  innocent  things  to  a  rambling  life. 

What  a  witness  is  I^ury  O'Broom,  Sir. 

So  much  then,  and  perhaps  too  much,  of  Laury 
O'Broom,  Sir.  I  never  could  catch  a  very  correct  coj)y 
of  this  stave,  so  was  compelled  to  add  words  and  lines  of 
verses  as  I  went  on,  to  keep  the  sense  together;  and  at 
the  last  I  was  obliged  to  ask  my  own  wayward  muse  for  three 
full  verses. 


KIB KIL  297 

Kibbling — A  rude  stick  or  rung.  Some  put  great  value 
on  a  favourite  staff ;  listen  to  the  Irishmatfs  Address  to  his 
Cudgel — 

Sweet  mother  of  the  sloe, 
Iloch  !  where  did  ye  grow? 

On  the  banks  of  the  lovely  Ban-uTiter ; 
By  the  hoakey,  the  like  of  thee  never  was  carried, 
Six  years  have  I  with  ye  now  thumped  an<l  harried, 
A  dozen,  sometimes,  in  a  fair  I  have  scared 

With  thee,  just  as  hard's  I  could  batter. 

In  Dublin's  big  town 

You  were  very  well  known. 

Some  sculls  I  have  there  with  ye  cracked  ; 
From  morning  to  niglit,  I've  taken  delight, 
In  joining  and  bruizing  away  at  a  fight, 
Hoh,  Barney,  the  boy,  was  up  to  the  slight 

Of  wielding  thee  well,  he  saved,  he  smacke<l. 

With  thee  in  my  hand. 
Not  a  wench  in  the  land. 

But  I  durst  go  catch  in  a  twinkle  ; 
Where  was  the  bulley  could  keep  her  from  me, 
When  determined  was  I  that  with  me  she  should  be  ? 
Who  the  devil  could  stand  many  downers  from  thee  ? 

You  i)lay'd  hell  with  a  chap's  periwinkle. 

Few  matches  for  thee, 
In  Erin  there  be. 

But,  for  my  countrie's  sake,  be  there  many  ; 
Ciive  an  Irishman  whisky  ;  O  !  rare  Inishone, 
That  would  warm  and  would  soften  the  heart  of  a  stone, 
And  a  cudgel,  like  thee,  then  let  him  alone. 

For,  few  dare  oppose  him,  if  any. 

KiLCH — A  side  blow ;  a  catch  ;  a  stroke  got  unawares. 

KiLLiCK — The  flue  of  an  anchor  ;  the  mouth  of  a  pickaxe. 

KiLLMAN — The  man  who  attends  to  the  kiln  in  a  mill. 
These  are  commonly  very  honest  men,  well  Hked  by  the 
lasses.     Mark  the  song — 

Weel,  uncle,  I  shall  never  wed 

The  Cameronian  Hill-man, 
But  ril  rin  haffers  wi'  the  bed 

O'  Watlie  Broom,  the  kill-man. 

For  W^attie  is  a  worthy  lad. 

And  fu'  o'  warly  skill,  man. 
The  ithcr  j)rays  and  's  waur  than  nmd, 

He's  nacthing  like  the  kill-man. 


298  KIL KIL 

Nac  gate  an  erran'  I  wad  gang 

Mair  soon  than  owre  tae  mill  man, 
For  than  I'd  see  or  it  was  lang, 

My  blythsume  lad,  the  kill-man. 

In  the  killogie,  wi'  his  arms 

He  clasps  me  till  I  thrill,  man  ; 
His  seedie  ingle  finelv  warms, 

Whanere  he  steers  t  the  kill-man. 

In  love  he  rows  me  ay  about, 

I  let  him  kiss  his  fill,  man  ; 
His  goodness  ay  I  never  doubt, 

He's  nae  take  in,  the  kill-man. 

And  tho'  he  tovvsles  me  right  aft, 

He  never  means  nae  ill,  man  ; 
He's  daft  about  me,  and  I'm  daft. 

About  my  darling  kill-man. 

Yestreen,  I  met  him,  biyth  and  gay. 

He  splat  a  whusky  gill,  man  ; 
And  spak  about  the  wadding-day. 

Right  seriously  the  kill-man. 

KiLLOGGiE — The  fire-place  of  the  kiln. 

KiLLRAVAGE,  OR  CuLLRAVAGE — A  mob  of  disorderly  persons, 
either  engaged  in  scenes  of  savage  and  actual  devilry,  or 
intending  to  be  so. 

Kilt — Proper  method,  right  way,  or  right  thing.  We  say  of 
such  a  one  that  is  not  properly  up  to  his  trade,  that  he  has  not 
the  kilt  of  it,  and  of  those  who  well  understand  what  they  are 
doing,  that  they  have  the  kilt  dt.  Can  this  word,  and  /'///,  a 
loose  garment,  be  one  ?  I  know  not :  probably,  tlie  High- 
land clans  long  ago  used  the  phrase,  "  ye  have  the  kilt  o't^'  to 
those  of  the  same  tribe  or  dress  with  themselves,  and  those 
who  were  not,  of  course  had  not  the  kilt  of  it  The  following 
tolerable  verses  were  composed  in  a  church,  on  seeing  a 
country  man  asleep  while  a  priest  (who  had  not  the  kilt  of 
])reaching),  was  holding  forth.  Probably  kilt  and  kef  it — to 
know,  are  one  : — 

Whae'er  ye  be  that  taks  ye'r  naj), 

Aside  the  pulpit  bink, 
Maun  surely  Ije  a  happy  chap, 

Maun  surely  rightly  think. 

O  !  could  I  fa'  asleep  like  thee 

I  wad  be  unco  glad. 
Or,  were  my  lugs  but  stulTd  awce, 

I  >^ad  na  be  sac  bad. 


KIL  KIL  299 

For,  O  !  I'm  tortured  wi*  a  gomf, 

Wha's  gampin  like  a  ha]f-hang'd  dog, 
lie  weel  deserves  i*  the  arse  a  yomf. 

Or  some  as  illfar'd  shog. 

I  true,  he  has  mistaken  his  trade. 

To  learn  to  preach  and  pray, 
To  \ye  a  priest  ne  ne'er  was  made, 

Nor  ne'er  will  ony  day. 

0  !  this  is  really  sad  sad  wark. 
For  Godsakc,  say  nae  mair. 

Ha,  yet  ye  bow  and  maunt  and  bark, 
What  hearer  is  na  sair. 

1  sec/rieft  IVillie's  glide  red  wig 

Has  an  uneasy  seat ; 
The  Dukf  0*  Kent  doth  yawning  lig, 
And  burn  with  wrathfu'  heat. 

Ay.  a'  wha  are  dear  nature's  frien's 

Are  wearietl  to  the  bane. 
Ilk  way  they  sit,  their  flesh  complains. 

And  sauls  within  it  grane. 

We're  no  a  squad  that's  ill  to  please, 

A  silly  cheel  Is  fit, 
A  wee  hotch  heavenward  will  us  ease. 

To  meikle  we'll  submit. 

But  \vull  awuns !  what  can  we  say, 

'Bout  thee,  thou  awsome  gow, 
A  mass  thou  art  o'  saulless  clay, 

A  boss  croon 'd  foozie  frow. 

A  pity  'tis  that  we  should  l)e 

Sac  troubled  wi'  the  bash. 
And  that  we  dare  get  nane  but  he. 

And  his  slim  senseless  trash. 

O  !  patronage,  this  is  thy  crime, 

Sae  sorrowful  to  tell. 
Cam  ye  frae  regions  high,  sublime  ? 

Nay,  ye  cam  out  o'  hell. 

And  there  the  sooner  ye  win  back. 

For  Christians  'twill  be  best. 
Then,  chcels  wha  ought  to  wear  the  black. 

Will  come  and  gie  us  rest. 

Snore  on,  snore  on,  my  happy  saul. 

Just  like  a  stocking-loom. 
And  see  to  deavc  this  dranting  drawl, 

Which  comes  frae  haunis  sae  toom. 

Was  ance  I  out  o'  this  kirk  door. 

They'll  sec  weel,  sees  mc  back. 
For  this  place  I  cannot  endure 

Wi'  patience  on  the  rack. 


300  KIL  KIN 

I'll  read  my  buik  upon  the  hill 

Ilk  Sabbath-day  that's  clear. 
And  try  mysell  vvi*  heaven  to  fill, 

And  never  mair  come  here. 

Now  Lord  be  thanked  that  his  gab 

Is  fairly  closed  for  ance, 
Up  come  alang,  my  snorkin  Rab^ 

And  let  us  douTi  the  trance. 

Kilted — Clothes  furled  up  on  the  body  are  said  to  be  "Xv//^^." 

Kiltie — A  spawned  salmon ;  they  are  then  very  lean. 

KiMMER — A  gude-wife. 

KiMMERiNS — The  feasts  at  births.  These,  the  ^^ KtmmerSy' 
or  gude-wives,  have  to  themselves,  no  men  are  allowed  to 
partake  along  with  them. 

King    and    Queen    o*    Cantelon — A   chief   school    game. 

Two  of  the  swiftest  of  the  boys  are  placed  between  two 

doons^  or  places  of  safety ;  these,  perhaps,  two  hundred  yards 

distant.     All  the  other  boys  stand  in  one  of  these  places  or 

doonSy  when  the  two  fleet  youths  come  forward,  and  address 

them  with  this  rhyme — 

**  King  and  Queen  o'  Cantelon, 
**  How  mony  mile  to  Babylon  ; 
**  Six  or  seven,  or  a  lang  eight, 
**  Try  to  win  there  wi'  candle-light." 

When  out,  they  run  in  hopes  to  get  to  Babylon,  or  the 
other  doon,  but  many  of  them  get  not  near  that  place  before 
they  are  caught  by  the  runners,  who  taefis  them,  that  is, 
lay  their  hands  upon  their  heads,  when  they  are  not  allowed 
to  run  any  more  in  that  game,  that  is,  until  they  all  be 
faend  or  taken.  This  sport  has  something,  methinks,  of 
antiquity  in  it ;  it  seemeth  to  be  a  pantomime  of  some 
scenes  played  off  in  the  time  of  the  Crusades.  -King  and 
Queen  o'  Cantelon  evidently  must  be  King  and  Queen  d  Ca/e- 
don,  but  slightly  changed  by  time.  Then  Babylon  in  the  rhyme, 
the  way  they  had  to  wander,  and  hazard  the  being  caught 
by  the  Infidels,  all  speak  as  to  the  foundation  of  the  game. 
King  Galders — (Jn  the  farm  of  Cairnholh\  in  the  parish 
of    Kirkmabreck,    stands   a   rarity,    the   large    stone   coflin 


KIN KIR  301 

which  held  the  body  of  a  king,  which  tradition  calls  **  AV/?^ 
Ga/ders.**  It  is  at  the  present  day,  just  as  it  has  been  all 
along  ;  such  a  weighty  concern  has  preserved  it  from  being 
removed.  Around  the  tomb  are  many  stones  of  various 
lengths  standing  on  end. 

Murray,  in  his  history,  refers  to  the  account  of  a  A'/>/^ 
Galdus^  by  a  person  named  Sympson,  and  that  his  tomb  is 
beside  the  Blednoch  waten  The  two  kings  must  be  one, 
and  how  it  comes  he  has  two  tombs,  I  cannot  say ;  the  two 
places  are  many  miles  distant.  Galders  was  probably  a 
Dane,  and  the  conjuncture  that  Galloway  derived  her  name 
from  him,  is  not  unlikely. 

KiNTRA-CLASH — The  bad  news  with  the  few  good  astir  in  the 
country. 

KiNTRA-coosER — A  human  stallion  ;  a  fellow  who  debauches 
many  country  girls. 

KiNTRA-siDE — That  part  of  the  country  any  one  lives  in,  is  his 
kintra-side. 

Kip  Cairns — An  original  of  a  very  rare  cast,  and  I  am  sorry 
that  I  have  not  got  enough  about  him,  to  enable  me  to  have 
a  dash  at  his  character.  He  was  laird  of  a  farm  called  Kip^ 
but  the  law  and  smuggling  brought  him  to  sell  it ;  he  died 
in  indigence,  and  his  death  was  lamented  all  over  the  land 
of  Galloway  ;  he  is  not  yet  forgotten  by  a  great  many.  And 
if  any  who  knew  him  well  would  take  the  trouble  to  publish, 
in  a  little  book, 

"  The  Anecdotes  d  Kip  Cairns;' 

That  book,  I  may  prophecy,  would  repay  them  ten  per  cent 
Come   friend   "  Alorrison  d  Fellen;'   put    thy    "  bunch " 

through  the  presSy  or  send  them  to  me,  for  thou  alone  canst 

do  justice  to  Kip  Cairtis, 

KiRKCORMOCK — An  ancient  Gallovidian  parish,  like  Dun- 
roddan,    Gatah^    Senwick,   Kirkandros^    and   others.       The 


302  KIR  KIR 

names  of  such  only  remain  now,  and  their  kirk-yards^  with 
perhaps  the  ruins  of  the  auld  kirk.  At  Dunroddan,  \hQ  fount, 
which  heid  the  holy  water,  is  yet  to  be  seen  in  a  fine  state  of 
perfection ;  a  blacksmith  lately  thought  it  might  answer  him 
for  a  troch,  so  introduced  it  into  his  smiddy  ;  but  a  worthy 
kirk-yard  antiquary,  whom  I  and  many  others  could  name, 
restored  it  to  its  ancient  situation  ;  the  kirk-yard  of  Kirk- 
cormock  is  worthy  of  remark,  on  account  of  an  old  troch  stane, 
three  feet  by  two  therein ;  to  translate  its  inscription  was  no 
small  trouble,  the  characters  being  of  old  runic  stamp,  and 
the  language  Latin.  "  Honorabilis  Sir  Patricius  Maclellana 
qui  obit  anno  M.DXXXIV.  anno  XVIII.  ^tatis."  This 
gentleman  seems  to  have  been  one  of  Maclellans  of  AuMane, 
by  a  daughter  of  Herries,  the  second  Lord  Henries,  who  died 
(the  lady)  in  the  same  year ;  had  the  stone  not  been  broke 
through  at  the  middle,  and  otherways  mutilated,  more  of  its 
inscription  might  have  been  gathered  In  this  kirk-yard 
there  is  also  a  little  tumulus,  but  lately  much  injured  by  a 
planting  of  young  trees.  O  !  ye  moderns,  have  mercy  on  the 
memory  of  your  ancestors. 

KiRKCUBRiE — Kirkcudbright  Not  only  the  metropolis  of 
Galloway,  but  a  curiosity  of  itself,  so  it  therefore  lays  dou- 
ble claim  to  my  attention,  though  1  am  not  going  to  say 
much  about  it.  That  it  is  ancient ;  that  its  name  comes  from 
St  Cuthbert ;  that  it  now  is  a  place  containing  from  two 
to  three  thousand  inhabitants ;  that  though  on  a  fine  na- 
vigable river,  it  has  little  trade  ;  these,  and  other  things 
are  all  in  print  already,  and  I  print  nothing  over  again  if 
I  know  it  But  few,  perhaps,  are  aware,  that  Willie 
Wallace  used  to  ship  from  this  place  to  the  court  of 
France.  South  of  the  to^^^l  is  his  camp ;  this  royal  bo- 
rough has  many  bonny  lasses  in  it ;  shall  I  name  a  few  ? 
No,  names  are  odious  ;  though,  were  I  to  do  so,  they  would 
get  husbands  in   a   handclap;    there   are   also  some  verv 


KIR KIR  303 

social  men  in  it,  with  whom  I  have  spent  some  happy  hours, 
but  there  are  foolish  men  in  it  also,  and  many  very  fond  of 
drink,  termed  tipplers ;  and,  like  all  little  places,  it  is  full  of 
scandal,  what  not ;  but  on  the  whole  I  have  never  loved  any 
small  town  so  well  as  Kirkcubrie. 

KiRKiNG — That  ceremony  of  attending  the  kirk  the  first 
Sabbath  after  marriage ;  to  the  modest  this  is  the  most  trying 
concern  in  the  matter,  and  commonly  the  man  blushes 
deeper  than  the  woman;  she  seems  quite  uplifted,  having 
caught  a  husband,  but  not  so  he^  because  he  has  got  a  wife  ; 
a  number  of  friends  and  relatives  generally  attend  the  young 
fcnc'k  on  these  occasions;  the  bride  comes  forward /I'/iked  or 
hulked,  in  the  bridegroom's  best  man^s  arm,  and  to  this  party 
are  directed  all  eyes  in  the  church.  What  a  nonsense  in 
truth  is  to  be  borne  with,  before  an  honest  man  can  enter 
the  matrimonial  state.  I  could  wager,  that  in  the  space  of 
twenty  or  thirty  years,  gieing  up  the  names,  crying,  kirking,  &c. 
will  be  all  dead  and  damned,  like  the  cutty  stool ;  as  so  they 
should,  for  where  is  their  use  ?  and  the  evil  attending  them 
is  great;  in  this  age  of  light,  the  church  laws  in  Scotland 
keep  many  from  marriage,  for  what  is  worse  to  endure  than 
foolish  ceremonies  ?  they  do  well  enough  when  the  eyes  of 
the  mind  are  glazed  with  ignorance,  but  now  they  will  not  do 
at  all.  I  would  not  go  through  with  them,  as  they  exist  at 
present  in  my  native  kirk,  were  I  sure  to  gain  the  loveliest 
and  richest  female  in  Britain. 

KiRK-LADDLES — The  laddles  or  implements  elders  use  in  rustic 
kirks,  to  gather  the  bawbees  the  congregations  bring  with  them 
for  the  poorfo7vk, 

KiRK-STiLES — The  stepping  stones  people  walk  over  church- 
yard dykes  on.  At  these  places,  of  course,  the  greatest 
crowd  generally  stands,  on  Sabbath  days ;  there  the  bonny 
lasses  shew  themselves  with  their  best  braws  on  to  the  youn^ 
cheels,  and  they  in  return  flash  before  them  their  watch  seals, 
braid  claith,  neat  baws,  what  not,  which  is  returning  love  for 


304  KIR KIR 

love ;  by  degrees  the  flames  bum  brisker,  so  that  many  have 
cause  to  both  bless  and  rue  the  day,  they  ever  met  un  itJur 
at  kirk-stiles, 

KiRNiE — A  little  pert  impudent  boy,  who  would  wish  to  be 
considered  a  man. 

KiRNiNG — Churning.  The  art  of  making  butter ;  the  upstaning 
kirn  is  but  little  used  now  for  that  purpose,  only  those  who 
have  little  cream  make  use  of  it ;  the  barrle  and  box  kirns 
have  quite  displaced  it  But  still  the  doughty  wife  of  Auchter- 
muchties  will  be  well  understood ;  yes,  even  though  we 
adopt  the  South  American's  method  of  churning.  About 
Buenos  Ayres,  says  my  famous  wanderer,  Sawnie  the  Sailor, 
green  hides  are  sewed  together  in  the  form  of  a  large  bag ; 
the  cream,  or  ratherly  die  whole  of  the  milk,  is  then  poured 
in,  for  there  is  no  cream  on  the  milk  in  warm  countries  -,  this 
bag,  when  about  full,  is  tied  with  a  rope  to  a  horse's  tail, 
which  drags  it  scampering  through  the  streets,  until  by  agita- 
tion it  becomes  coagulated. 

Kirns — Harvest  sports,  after  harvest  is  concluded ;  also, 
the  last  hookful  of  grain  that  is  to  be  cut,  is  called  a  kirn  ; 
who  to  cut  this  is  a  great  matter;  the  rip  left  is  three 
plaited,  the  reapers  range  back  a  few  yards,  and  fling  at  it 
with  their  hooks,  and  he  or  she  who  flings,  and  cuts  it,  is 
accounted  the  cleverest  in  the  boon  or  bamtnin.  That,  at 
the  dancing  atcen,  he  or  she  wears  in  the  hat  or  bonnet 
like  a  soldier's  feather,  the  whole  of  the  night,  beautifully 
busked  with  ribbons  of  various  hues.  Afterwards  it  is 
hung  up  in  a  conspicuous  part  of  the  house,  and  given  to 
Bill  yock,  the  king  d  t/ie  Byre,  on  Auld  Candlemas-day, 
so  that  none  of  the  kye,  the  incoming  year,  may  be  guilty 
of  picking-caitve.  Ranting  kirns  are  now  bid  farewell  to 
Galloway  almost;  refinement  and  the  inroads  of  low  Irish 
reapers,  are  the  cause ;  anciently  the  famous  laird  d  Sen- 
7vick  used  to  send  for  a  fiddler  out  of  Dumfries,  to  give 


KIR  KIR  305 

music  to  his  kims,  a  distance  of  thirty  miles  ;  this  was  run- 
ning the  matter  to  a  high  pitch. 

KiRNSTAFF — That  long  staff  with  a  circular  frame  on  the  head 
of  it,  used  anciently,  when  "upstanding  kims^^  were 
fashionable. 

KiRR — Blythe,  cheerful,  &c.;  a  person  so  inclined  is  said  to 
be  a  kirr  body. 

KiRSENiNG  or  Crisening  —  Christening,  the  ceremony  of 
baptism  ;  to  these,  large  parties  are  invited,  and  feasting  and 
fun  are  the  result ;  the  sketch  of  a  curious  scene,  seen  at 
one  of  these  meetings,  runneth  thus — 

At  a  kirsening  yesterday  down  in  the  glen, 
War  assembled  a  possey  o*  crouse  honest  men, 
Wha  cracket  their  jokes,  and  discussed  the  wather, 
For  a  frost  some  wad  wish,  for  a  thow  some  wad  rather. 
"Whan  the  job  was  got  ower,  the  grave  ceremony, 
The  tea  was  set  down  on  the  table  sae  bonny, 
The  faurls  and  the  kebbuck,  the  butter  and  ham. 
The  hinnie,  the  short-bread  on  ither  did  cram. 
The  cups  round  the  trays  in  their  orbits  war  placed, 
A  couple  o'  track  pots  the  system  weel  graced. 
What  a  glorious  sight,  see  the  kettle  a  reeking. 
The  winsome  gudewife  a'  the  needfu's  a  seeking. 
Wi*  his  kindness  the  gude  man  is  ay  in  the  gate, 
He  fain  wad  assist  but  the  body  is  blate, 
He  canna  weel  sit,  and  he  canna  gae  rise. 
What  a  fHjrtrait  is  his,  between  doubt  and  surprise. 
Draw  in  ncru^s  the  word,  while  ilk  mou*  ran  wi'  water, 
Come  draw  round  the  tahle^  clean  changed  the  clatter, 
The  priest  meikle  swankie  declined  the  chair, 
Sae  'twas  a  gye  bout  to  get  ony  else  there. 
His  seat  it  should  be  on  the  lid  o'  a  chest, 
Pretendmg  to  act  like  the  humblest  guest. 
But  watch  how  he'd  look'd  had  ony  neglected, 
To  hand  him  alike  wi'  their  comrades  respected. 
Mair  wark  about  him  there  maun  be  than  'bout  fifty, 
Wi'  flethering  and  serving  to  keep  him  in  tift  ay. 
His  jokes  maun  be  laugh  d  at,  tho'  not  worth  a  doit. 
And  ilk  tale  he  tells  is  an  unco  exploit. 
At  last  every  gossip  has  got  to  its  station, 
A  grace  is  a  drawlmg  to  grace  the  occasion, 
Whilk  ended,  adown  sunk  the  black-garbed  boss. 
On  the  lid  o'  the  worm-eaten  chest  wi'  a  soss. 
But  it  proving  frail  for  his  corpus  sae  gravid, 
Down,  down  it  did  crash,  and  his  feet  ill  behaved, 
Up  aloft  quick  they  drave,  causing  sic  an  erruction, 
Owrewhelming  the  truckery  a'  wi  destruction. 

U 


3o6  KIT KYT 

The  teacups  in  air  were  like  pearies  a  turning. 

The  scaud  they  contained  was  the  company  burning. 

What  waistcoats  and  breeks  were  a  screeding  and  ripping. 

Some  down  and  some  up,  near  the  na*el  were  a  stripping. 

The  blushiony  blisters  on  briskets  and  thees. 

Soon  started  and  spread  by  alarming  degrees. 

The  priest  was  haurl'd  out  wi*  a  gye  deal  o'  trouble, 

Frae  whar  he  lay  jam't,  like  a  sack  in  the  double. 

The  gude  wife  kend  hardly  what  way  she  should  look. 

Her  husband  thought  ance  faith  on  "  taking  the  book," 

But  bottles  o'  whusky  and  some  o'  gude  gin. 

War  tum'd  into  toddy  and  brought  raeming  in, 

A^Tiilk  welcomer  company,  soon  grew  to  be, 

Than  a  fat  foolish  priest  and  a  spoutroch  o*  tea. 

Kith — Acquaintance. 

KiTTiE — A  common  name,  or  rather  an  universal  one,  for  all 
cows ;  witness  the  strange  old  rhyme — 

There  was  an  auld  man  stood  on  a  stane, 

Awa  i'  the  craft  his  leefu'  lane, 

And  cried  on  his  bonny  sleek  kye  to  him  hame. 

**  Kitty  my  Mailly,  Kitty  her  mither, 

"  Kitty  mj  Do,  and  Kitty  Billswither, 

**  Rangletie,  Spangletie,  Crook,  and  Cowd  rye, 

**  And  thae  war  the  names  o'  the  auld  man's  kye  " — 

Legendary  Wallet » 

Kittle — ^To  tickle ;  also,  to  bring  forth  kittens. 

KiTTS— Vessels  for  holding  water. 

KiVAN — A  covey,  such  as  of  partridges. 

Knackuz — A  person  who  talks  quick,  snappish,  and  ever 
chattering. 

Kn APING — The  talk  of  a  knackuz^  one  ever  on  the  catch; 
whutthroat  fuffing^  confab  of  weazles. 

Knap  o*  the  Knee — The  lid  of  the  knee. 

Kythe — To  look  like  ourselves.  To  seem  just  what  we  are, 
without  any  guile  or  hypocrisy ;  to  do  so  is  honesty.  And 
"  An  honest  man*s  the  noblest  work  of  God." 


LAB LAI  307 

L. 

Lab — ^To  be  intoxicated. 

Labb — The  sound  of  the  waves  of  a  summer  sea,  as  they  sweetly 
kiss  the  rocky  strand. 

Lade — Load,  also  the  stream  which  drives  a  mill. 

Lady  o*  the  Meadow — A  sweet  smelling  plant,  with  a  cream- 
coloured  flower,  which  grows  in  meadows. 

Lae — Leave. 

Laggan — Fatiguing,  beginning  to  weary. 

Laggans — Dresses  for  the  legs. 

Laggies — A  name  for  geese;  laggief  laggief  is  the  call  on 
geese. 

Laggin — ^That  part  of  a  wooden  vessel,  in  which  the  bottom 
rests. 

Laggin-gird — That  gird  round  the  "  lagging'  or  "  staps^^  which 
compose  the  sides  of  the  bottom  of  any  vessel ;  this  gird  is 
always  considered  the  chief  one  about  wooden  vessels 

Laigh-fiel — Low  lands,  the  reverse  of  the  moor  lands ;  thus 
we  say  a  Laigh-fiel  farm  ^  a  Laigh-fiel  lass^  &c. 

Laird — The  lord  of  a  manor ;  some  of  these  are  the  best, 
and  others  the  worst  characters  in  Scotland ;  who  has  not 
heard  of  Laird  IViggietaussock  ?  his  lands  lay  on  the  Solway 
shore.  Greedy  as  the  grave  was  he,  his  gourmand  imagina- 
tion saw  an  island  off  his  shore  a  little  way,  once  in  seven 
years.  Thus  would  he  describe  it : — "  O  I  it  was  a  bonny 
big  isle ;  I  saw  gran  swankies  o'  nowt  on*t,  feeding  on 
rough  claver  fiels ;  rare  com  growing  too,  every  stack  o*t 
as  thick  as  my  wee  finger,  and  ilka  head  wad  hae  filled  my 
gowpins.  Apple  trees  I  saw  there,  wi*  apples  hinging 
swagging  on  them  like  warping  clues,  the  haleware  o't 
seemed  to  be  gran  plowable  Ian.  I  cud  hae  made  sillar  on't, 
like  sclate  stanes."     (Then  would  he  add) — "  O  !  if  I  had 


3o8  LAI  LAI 

got  a  spunk  o'  kennelling  on*t  it  wad  hae  become  my  ain  -, 
the  Manxmen's  Isle  was  ance  enchanted  the  same  way, 
but  a  spark  o'  fire  lighted  on't  ance  frae  out  a  sailor's  pipe, 
broke  the  charm,  whilk  has  hinner'd  it  to  sink  mair;  but 
war  a'  the  fires  at  ony  time  to  gang  out,  it  wad  just 
gae  whar  it  was  again  ;  ance  they  went  a'  out  but  ae  wee 
bit  gleed  in  Zuxy,  and  faith,  the  Isle  o*  Man  was  begun  to 
shog  and  quake." 

Mine  reverend  original,  Nathan  M^Kie,  was  once  obliged 
to  leave  his  rural  abode,  the  Manse  d  Bauimagie,  and  go  to 
Ix)ndon  on  some  importint  business ;  his  friends  in  the 
mighty  metropolis  were  glad  to  see  him,  and  introduced 
the  worthy  eccentric  everywhere,  as  a  piece  of  great 
curiosity.  A  young  German  lady,  hearing  of  Nathan^  in 
some  of  her  gay  circles,  wished  very  much  to  be  some 
evening  where  he  was,  to  see  the  rare  Scotch  clergyman,  the 
which  wish  she  was  soon  gratified  with ;  after  chatting  with 
the  strange  man,  in  rather  a  saucy  way,  she  asked  him  if  he 
knew  "  what  kind  of  an  animal  a  Scottish  laird  was  ?"  adding, 
at  the  same  time,  that  she  had  "  read  Buffon,  Linnseus,  and 
other  naturalists,  without  finding  any  satisfaction."  Nathan 
turned  his  queer  phiz  towards  her,  and  quoth — (giving 
himself  a  hursle  or  tiva  at  the  same  time) — Wi*  faith,  madam, 
I'm  nae  great  naturalist  either,  but  I  believe  a  Scottish  laird 
to  be  an  animal  unco  like  your  petty  German  prince  a  hame, 
in  being  baith  damned /^<?r,  and  2^%  proud, ^^ 
Lair'd — Stuck  in  mire.  The  Moorlands  in  particular  are 
full  of  dangerous  places  for  animals  to  sink  in ;  these  seem 
green  and  inviting,  but  no  sooner  are  they  entered  upon  than 
they  are  found  to  be  all  a  deception. 

"I  set  af  tae  Moors  ance  (quoth  a  Lowland  farmer),  to 
buy  a  wheen  fogging  eutes ;  I  had  the  Mall  mare  aneath 
me,  the  best  stump  o'  a  beast  ever  I  had ;  owre  ae  hag 
after  anither  I  rade,  and  crossed  mony  a  garry,  till  every 
bane  in  my  body  was  sair." 


LAI  LAI  309 

"  My  chief  moor  house  was  Drummruck  ;  there  was  I  steer- 
ing, when  down  sunk  the  Mall  mare  wi'  a  snore,  in  ane  o* 
thae  green  flow  bogs ;  I  gaed  on  tae  tap  o'  a  hie  hill,  and 
waidd  wi*  my  hat,  and  in  less  than  a  quarter  of  an  hour  ten 
herds,  wi'  twice  as  mony  dogs,  gathered  to  me :  we  gaed 
down  tae  mare,  puU'd,  and  better  pull'd ;  I  dare  say  we  had 
to  draw  her  near  hauf  a  mile,  afore  we  cam  to  steave  grun. 

"  The  poor  brute  was  a*  racked  to  pieces,  and  never  was 
like  the  same  beast  after.  I  gaed  the  lads  shillings  a 
piece,  and  ane  I  gaed  hauf-a-crown  to,  to  guide  me  to 
the  road  that  led  hame.  Sae  I  gat  back  again,  but  if  ever 
I  ride  sic  anither  fool  erran,  it  will  be  de'ils  queer  to 
me. 

Laird  Cowtart — Or  the  obstinate  man.  His  proper 
name  was  y antes  Coltart ;  he  was  a  labouring  man,  as  I  am 
told,  the  greater  part  of  his  life ;  and  whether  he  became 
heir  to  a  little  house  and  garden  in  the  suburbs  of  Kirk- 
cudbright, or  obtained  it  by  his  own  honest  industry,  I 

.  know  not;  however,  a  little  laird  he  was,  and  went  the 
most  of  his  days  under  the  name  of  Laird  Cowtart,  He 
was  the  most  attentive  man  to  his  word  ever  known  in 
Galloway.  \\Tiat  he  at  any  time  said,  that  he  would  have 
abided  by  to  the  last  For  a  trifling  wager,  he  sat  the 
length  of  a  summer  day  once  on  the  "  rigging  of  a  barn,'' 
with  his  face  to  the  wind,  not  flinching  an  inch  from  Bo- 
reas; at  another  time,  for  a  similar  bet,  he  sat  upon  a 
brow  for  a  whole  day,  and  gazed  directly  at  the  sun;  no 
eagle  ever  looked  Sol  so  boldly  on  the  face.  There  was  a 
merchant  in  Kirkcudbright,  of  the  name  of  Harris,  who 
sold  groceries ;  this  person  and  the  laird  once  disputed 
about  something,  and  our  obstinate  man  said  "he  would 
purchase  nothing  out  of  his  shop  more,  nor  allow  himself 
to  taste  of  any  of  his  wares."  The  laird's  >*ife,  however, 
who  knew  nothing  of  her  husband's  determination,  bought 
some  candles  from  Harris ;  on  their  being  used  for  lighting 


3IO  LAI  LAI 

up  the  house,  the  good  man  inquired  of  her,  "  where  she  had 
bought  them?"  on  being  told  from  Harris,  he  spread  his 
grey  plaid  between  the  candle  and  him,  in  order  to  keep  him- 
self out  of  its  hateful  light.  Another  time  the  mistress  pur- 
chased from  this  merchant  some  barley  for  the  broth ;  the  laird 
knew  not  of  the  matter  till  he  had  dined  on  the  said  broth ; 
so  in  his  stomach  they  should  not  remain,  he  raged  about,  and 
there  was  no  peace  in  the  house,  until  the  laird  had  disgoi^ged 
what  of  them  he  had  swallowed,  every  ^^  groatJ*  He  used  to 
make  "  beeskeps^'  in  the  evenings,  when  his  day's  work  was 
over,  that's  to  say,  his  "  day's  7vork  "  with  those  with  whom 
he  was  employed;  once  while  so  engaged,  out  before  his 
door  in  the  open  air,  the  wife  came  and  called  him  to  sup- 
per ;  he  said  '^  he  would  come  if  she  did  not  call  him  again," 
the  wife  forgot  though,  came  out  after  a  little,  and  called 
James  to  come  in  to  his  "  champed  potatoes  /" — "ay,  ay,  gude 
wife,"  he  exclaimed,  "  ye  hae  done  for  me  now ; "  as  usual  he 
held  by  his  word,  and  amused  himself  sitting  out  all  night 
Being  challenged  once,  coming  through  a  field,  by  its  tenant, 
that  he  had  no  right  to  come  that  way,  the  laird  said,  "  his 
feet  should  never  touch  the  grass  of  that  field  more ; "  some 
of  the  laird's  fellow-labourers  heard  of  his  determination, 
and  bore  him  into  the  field  by  force ;  there  he  lay  on  his 
back  with  his  feet  up  in  the  air,  and  roared  and  cried  so 
mightily,  that  they  were  obliged  to  bear  him  out  of  it 
again.  I  could  multiply  specimens  of  obstinacy,  this  way, 
for  a  long  time,  and  give  many  of  his  singular  sayings,  but 
these  may  suffice ;  he  drove  a  mule  in  a  little  cart  long, 
and  many  thought  he  and  the  mule  were  a  "  dead  match ; " 
he  was  always  considered  to  be  rigidly  honest,  was  well 
liked,  and  the  good  family  of  Selkirk  was  all  along  veiy  kind 
to  him. 
Laird  o'  Cool's  Ghatst — We  have  not  a  more  popular 
tale  or  pamphlet  in  Galloway,  than  the  one  bearing  the 
title  of  this  article.     The  Laird  d  Cool  flourished  about 


LAI  LAM 


311 


one  hundred  years  ago,  in  the  parish  of  Buittle;  he  was 
proprietor  of  a  farm  therein,  called  Cool^  and  how  he  became 
so  was  never  rightly  known ;  it  is  the  belief  of  all,  however, 
that  there  was  foul  play  in  the  matter,  either  by  getting  wills 
and  deeds  signed  by  dead  men's  hands^  or  some  such  way. 
When  this  laird  left  the  world,  as  other  men  do,  his  ghaist  or 
ghost  J  returned  soon  after ;  was  seen  by  many  stegging  about 
the  estate,  like  a  thing  in  trouble,  to  the  terror  of  the  people 
about;  it  was  frequently  seen  sitting  down  on  a  stone,  termed 
a  cool  stane  ;  at  length  the  priest  of  the  parish  would  lay  htm, 
a  thing  of  the  most  serious  nature  in  those  days ;  the  ghaist 
gave  him  the  reasons  why  it  could  not  remain  in  darkness  for 
the  deeds  it  had  done  when  in  the  flesh ;  all  of  which  crimes 
the  priest  promised  to  remedy,  if  it  would  trouble  the  land  of 
light  no  more;  so,  by  praying  and  circumscribing  circles  with 
cauk  and  keel^  the  terrific  task  was  accomplished,  the  laird's 
ghaist  sank  into  the  earth,  and  has  never  more  burst  the 
cerements  of  the  tomb. 

Lairing  Staff — A  staff  used  by  herd  boys  to  drive  the  flocks 
to  their  lair ;  sometimes  it  is  tenned  the  lairer. 

Lameter — A  cripple.  The  dialogue  of  two  beggars,  who  met 
once  on  a  country-cross  road,  ran  thus  :  —  "  What's  come  o* 
daughter  Mary,  now?"  quoth  the  one  to  the  other  ;  "  Mary? 
she's  married,"  was  the  reply :  and  "  wha  has  Mary  gotten  ?  " 
added  the  inquirer ;  "  a  braw  horsecripple^  answered  the 
mither  "  Weel  done  Mary  !  (said  the  other)  we  maun  hae 
a  blaw  o*  the  pipe  owre  that  thegether." 

Lammas  Spates — ^Those  heavy  falls  of  rain,  common  about 
Lammas  or  Midsummer.  Farmers  who  live  by  the  banks 
of  waters^  prepare  themselves  against  the  falling  of  these 
spates  or  spouts,  by  removing  everything  out  of  the  river's 
way ;  that  though  it  swells,  and  comes  foaming  down,  it 
can  do  them  no  injury ;  not  rob  them  of  their  winters 
fodder. 


312  LAM    LAW 

Lamper  Eels — Eels,  common  in  spring  wells  during  summer ; 
they  are  so  much  like  horse-hair,  that  the  folks  think  it  is 
hair  alive  ;  they  even  put  hair  in  the  water  to  see  if  it  will 
become  lamper  eelsy  but  I  have  never  knowTi  the  trial  to  suc- 
ceed It  is  wonderful  to  examine  these  lampreys^  to  see  they 
are  things  of  life,  and  seemingly  without  either  head  or  tail; 
cut  them  in  twenty  pieces,  each  piece  is  just  a  little  eel, 
having  the  same  motions,  be  it  one  inch,  or  be  it  ten  in 
length. 

Lan-en' — The  end  of  ridges. 

Landin — Landmg.  Ending  with  a  "  set^'  at  shearing,  cutting 
through  from  one  side  of  the  field  to  the  other. 

Langles — Manacles.     Home-made  fetters. 

Lang  Megs — A  name  for  a  species  of  long  apple. 

Lang-nebbed — Having  a  long  beak,  bill,  or  nib;  "Gude 
preserve  us  frae  a'  witches,  warlocks,  and  lang-rubbed  things ;" 
this  is  one  of  the  greatest  wishes  of  the  country  people ;  they 
consider  that  some  of  the  beings  of  the  nocturnal  world  have 
sonsy  snouts^  like  powder-horns.  Words  too,  in  the  English 
tongue,  difficult  to  be  understood,  are  said  to  be  lang-nebbed 
or  double-breasted ;  sometime  ago  at  country  schools,  when 
the  scholars  were  learning  to  read  the  buik^  whenever  they 
came  to  a  cramp  word  to  pronounce,  the  Dominies  bade  them 
call  that  2i  Passover,  and  "  syneskelp  awa^  It  may  be  added 
too,  that  some  of  those  windy  terms  in  the  nomencktures 
of  our  modem  sciences,  are  truly  lang-nebbed,  and  may  be 
made  passovers  by  sensible  men. 

Lappels — The  folds  on  the  front  of  a  coat. 

Lapper — Snow  in  the  act  of  melting.  Lapper*d,  curdled. 
"The  milk  sits  tapper' d  in  the  dirty  coags,"  saith  poor 
Bob  Fergusson,  as  bright  a  young  genius  as  ever  sang  on  the 
earth.  "  The  tapper' d  cluds  conglobe  and  roll,"  saith  another 
author — perhaps  myself. 

Law — A  high  hill. 


LAY  LEE  313 

Laying  Ghaists — When  ghosts  showed  their  pale  faces  in  the 
days  of  yore,  the  ministers  of  the  word  laid  them  by  praying; 
that  is  to  say,  they  described  circles,  stood  within  them 
(for  over  the  circumference  of  a  circle  no  ghaist  durst  pass), 
and  there  they  addressed  the  foul  spirit  until  it  sank  into 
the  earth;  they  then  crossed  the  place  with  Hnes,  which 
hindered  them  from  rising  any  more. 

Awa,  awa,  thou  fearfu'  ghaist, 

Flee  hence  and  ne'er  return, 
In  thy  dark  chaumer  there  gae  rest, 

Lae  us  and  boggle  bum — 

Auld  sang. 

Laying  Sheep — The  art  of  putting  greasy  matters  on  sheep,  so 
that  they  may  be  kept  warmer  through  winter.  See  the 
article  Sheep-smearing, 

Lead  o*  the  Ice — A  curler's  phrase,  and  means  the  bias 
of  ice.  Many,  however,  when  they  do  not  play  well, 
ascribe  their  bad  success  to  the  unevenness  of  the  ice ; 
man,  generally  speaking,  being  loath  to  take  a  fault  to 
himself 

Lead  the  Ice — Another  curler's  term,  being  the  order  given 
to  the  first  player,  when  about  to  play ;  also  to  any  player, 
when  stones  are  in  the  direct  way  to  the  "  tee^ 

Lee — ^The  ashes  of  green  weeds,  such  as  breckans ;  when 
burned,  gude  wives  use  it  in  bleaching;  also,  lee^  to  lie, 
to  tell  fibs  or  untruths;  and  also,  lee^  a  place  surrounded 
by  hills,  an  open  space,  yet  sheltered  fi-om  almost  every 
blast     What  for  a  song,  is 

THE  SHEPHERD  OWRE  THE  LEE. 

Awa  frae  me  now  Sawnie  lad, 

And  dinna  fash  me  mair. 
We  a'  ken  weel  your  purse  has  gowd. 

And  that  your  heacl  has  lair  ; 
But  for  your  si  liar  and  your  lair, 

I  dinna  care  a  flea, 
My  love  is  Tam  the  shepherd  boy, 

Wha  whistles  owrc  the  lee. 


314  LEE  LET 

Pair  cheel  he  canna  gab  like  you, 

Nor's  cled  in  sic  braw  claise, 
But  what  he  sa)rs  is  sweeter  far, 

And  ay  his  dress  does  please  ; 
He  is  the  darling  o'  my  heart, 

And  ever  mair  will  be, 
My  bonny,  merry,  shepherd  boy, 

Wha  whistles  owre  the  lee. 

The  morning  whan  he  climbs  the  hill, 

The  laverocks  to  him  sing, 
And  round  him  do  the  paitrics  trip. 

And  mawkins  skip  and  spring  ; 
They  a*  luik  blyth  at  my  dear  Tam, 

But  no  sae  blyth  as  me, 
For  he  is  my  lovely  shepherd  lad^ 

And  whistles  owre  the  lee. 

O  !  happy  is  the  sailor  lad. 

Whan  he  comes  aflf  the  sea. 
And  wi*  his  bonny  lassie  meets. 

To  kiss  and  crack  a  wee  ; 
But  wha  can  happier  be  than  me, 

Aneath  the  hawthorn  tree, 
Wi'  my  cheerfu*,  harmless,  shepherd  lad, 

Wha  whistles  owre  the  lee. 

Leemers — Nuts  which  leave  their  husks  easily. 
Leese — ^To  arrange,  to  trim,  to  sort,  &c. 
Leesh — A  piece  of  tough  string. 
Leesh-fallows — Tough  strong  fellows. 

Let  on — A  phrase,  meaning  "  the  giving  a  hint  of  any  thing ;" 
never  "  let-on^''  we  say  to  those  whom  we  wish  to  keep  secret 
some  little  thing  we  have  told  them ;  that  is  to  say,  not  to 
hint  the  matter  to  any  other* 

Lettered-Craigs — In  various  places  of  Galloway,  large  crags 
are  to  be  met  with,  having  very  ancient  writings  on  them, 
some  of  which  the  antiquary  deciphers,  but  others  not ;  one 
of  these,  in  the  farm  of  Knockiebay  in  the  Shire^  has  cut 
deep  on  the  upper  side — 

**  Lift  me  up,  and  I'll  tell  ye  more." 

Many  people  have,  in  separate  years,  as  time  rolls  on, 
gathered  to  this  rock,  and  after  much  labour,  have  suc- 
ceeded   in    lifting   it   up,   with   the   hopes,   no    doubt,    of 


LET  LEW  315 

being  well  repaid  for  their  trouble  with  the  treasure  beneath ; 
but  how  must  they  have  been  deceived,  when,  instead  of 
finding  any  gold,  they  find  wrote  on  its  ground  side, 

'*  Lay  me  down  as  I  was  before." 

It  must  have  been  no  small  wag  in  the  days  away,  who 
invented  this.  On  another,  in  a  neighbouring  parish,  this 
strange  inscription  is  found  cut — 

**  This  stane  lies  on  auld  Robbings  wame, 

*'  His  purse  and  his  stafT  are  aside  the  same, 

"  If  thou  thinks  this  wrang,  tak  the  stane  af  my  waroe, 

**  And  lay  it  on  thine  to  preserve  thy  name." 

Saumers  M^Clurg^  the  old  innkeeper,  at  Blednoch  Brig^ 
about  eighty  years  ago,  allowed  almost  every  kind  of 
wildness  to  go  in  his  house,  except  fighting;  and  when- 
ever any  rustics  started  a  coUieshangie^  Sawners  reached 
for  a  thick  sticky  he  kept  up  in  the  brace,  and  being  a  very 
strong  man,  stood  up  and  gave  the  ground  one  thump  with 
it,  saying,  quietness  is  best;  when  quietness  instantly  took 
place.  At  last,  when  he  went  the  way  of  all  men,  a 
friend  laid  a  rude  rock  on  him,  with  this  epitaph  deeply 
engraved  on  it — 

**  Beneath  lies  Sawners  M*Clurg, 

**  Enjoying  his  quiet  rest, 
**  When  he  was  alive  he  ay  said, 

**  Quietness  was  best" 

This  inscription  nearly   pleases   me  as  well  as  that  one  a 

fellow  blabbed  carelessly  out,   on  his  master,  who  offered 

fifty  pounds,  to  him  who  should  write  the  best  thing  on 

his  grave-stone  : — 

"Here  lies  Billy  Knox, 

**  Wha  lived  and  died  like  ither  folks." 

So  he  cheated  many  a  learned  poet. 

Leug — A  tall,  ill-looking  man. 

Lew — A  heat.     Stacks  of  com  are  said  to  take  a  **/«i',"  when 
they  are  built,  not  being  dry,  when  they  heat. 

Lewre — A  long  pole,  a  lever. 


3i6  LEZ  LIN 

Lezie — ^The  name  for  Elizabeth. 

Lights — The  lungs  of  an  animal. 

LiDDERiE — Feeble  and  lazy. 

LiDED — Mixed,  thickened,  &c 

Lift — ^A  term  much  in  use  at  rustic  funerals ;  let  us  lift, 
say  those  people  at  these  occasions,  when  they  have  had  five 
or  six  services  ;  which  means,  let  us  lift  the  corpse  and  be 
going,  for  we  have  had  enough,  though  it  is  well  known 
not  to  be  come  to  that  time  yet,  and  that  all  they  want 
by  repeating  often,  let  us  lift,  boys,  is  to  have  another 
service^  or  round  of  bread,  cheese,  and  whisky,  so  that 
when  lifting  time  comes,  some  of  those  drunken  and 
gormandizing  mourners  can  scarcely  lift  themselves,  never 
speaking  of  being  able  to  lift  others.  To  lift  a  brae,  is 
to  ascend  a  brow.  Lift,  also  means  the  whole  of  the  sky, 
that  can  be  seen  at  once ;  anciently,  says  tradition,  the 
people  fancied  that  there  were  some  mighty  persons  far 
above  the  firmament,  who  had  alwa)rs  in  lift,  as  it  were, 
the  whole  of  the  celestial  regions,  and  who  hindered  tlie 
clouds  and  heavenly  bodies  from  absolutely  falling  on 
them,  and  that  they  carried  the  clouds  from  place  to  place, 
as  they  thought  fit;  hence  the  word  carry;  these  were 
the  times  when  "  spirits  came  on  the  blast,"  and  ruled  the 
whirlwind  and  the  storm. 

Liggett — A  reclining  gate — fi"om  lig,  to  recline,  and  gate; 
they  must  recline,  or  they  would  not  close  of  themselves ;  they 
are  hung  on  what  is  termed  a  hangrell ;  in  the  holdstone  at 
the  foot  is  a  bot  to  turn  on,  called  a  bot-stane ;  the  long  bar 
which  crosses  the  others  obliquy,  is  the  sord. 

LiNCLUDEN — A  venerable  old  college  in  ruins,  standing 
on  the  lovely  banks  of  Nith,  a  little  above  Dumfiies. — 
Francis  Grose,  in  his  Antiquities  of  Scotland,  takes  notice 
of  it,  but  as  he  has  not  spoke  about  matters  to  be   met 


LIN   LIN  317 

with  at  this  place,  respecting  Galloway,  it  becomes  me  to  do 
so.  On  entering  the  chancel,  one  is  struck  with  awe  and 
wonder,  at  seeing  the  remains  of  ancient  grandeur,  of  the  most 
beautiful  workmanship  and  decoration ;  what  first  attracts 
notice,  is  the  tomb  of  Margaret,  eldest  daughter  of  King 
Robert  the  Third,  sister  of  the  gallant  King  James  the. First, 
(who  was  cruelly  murdered  at  Perth,  by  his  uncle,  cousin,  and 
others,  who  were  his  confidants)  and  wife  of  Archibald,  fourth 
Earl  of  Douglass,  and  first  Duke  of  Touraine  in  France,  (who 
was  slain  at  the  battle  of  Vemuil,  17  th  August,  1424,  and  lies 
buried  in  the  church  of  St.  Gratian,  in  Tours,  the  capital  of 
his  duchy).  Margaret  was  alive  May,  1426 ;  over  the  tomb 
is  inscribed,  in  Gothic  characters — 

Jl  Taibc  be  gitu. 

"  Hic    JACET,   Ana    Margaretta,    regis    Scocie,    filia 

QUODA   COMITISSA   DE    DoUGLAS  AnA  GaLWIDIE  ET  VALLIS 

Anadie." 

Her  tomb-stone,  which  has  no  inscription,  is  lying 
broken  in  the  grave.  This  tomb  is  beautifully  decorated 
all  round  and  over  the  top ;  in  the  midst  of  the  decora- 
tions is  the  representation  of  three  large  chalices  or  cups, 
intermixed  with  a  heart  and  three  stars,  the  arms  of  the 
Douglasses ;  the  former  from  the  heart  of  Robert  Bruce, 
entrusted  to  the  good  Sir  James  ;  and  the  starsy  by  marriage 
with  the  heiress  of  Bothwell,  in  the  person  of  Archibald, 
the  third  earl,  commonly  called  the  grim.  On  the  left  of 
this  beautiful  tomb,  which  should  be  told,  is  on  the  north 
wall  of  the  chancel,  is  a  door  much  ornamented ;  over 
it  is  cut  out  the  hearty  stars,  and  lion  rampant;  the 
latter,  the  arms  of  Galloway,  of  which  the  Douglasses  were 
lords.  On  both  sides  of  the  wall  in  the  chancel  are  many 
shields,  some  with  arms,  some  plain ;  but  in  those  having 
arms,  the  lion,  heart,  and  stars,  prevail ;  over  one  of  the 
shields,  and  cut  out  on  the  south  wall,  (supposed  to  belong 


3i8  LINT LIN 

to  Stewart  of  Bonkill^  is  a  scroll,  with  a  few  words  in 
the  Gothic  or  Saxon  character,  but  which  stands  so  high 
that  it  is  impossible  to  decipher  the  inscription  with 
a  common  ladder;  on  the  whole,  this  college  is  a  noble 
old  pile,  and  worthy  of  walking  a  long  summer  day  to 
see.  What  holy  emblems  and  inscriptions  there  are 
about  it ! — the  Three  in  one,  surrounded  by  a  glory,  viz. 
The  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,  with  the  words  /esu 
Christiy  frequently  appear;  also  Mary  and  the  Child, 
with  the  seven  wise  men  kneeling  before  them ;  and,  ac- 
cording to  the  Golden  Legend^  the  two  first  figures  of  this 
group  seem  armed.  I  may  add,  that  Margaret,  mentioned 
already,  daughter  of  King  Robert  the  Third,  whose  husband 
was  Archibald,  the  fourth  Earl  of  Douglass,  was  nick-named 
jyne  Man,  from  the  many  battles  he  tyned  or  lost,  and  his 
general  unsuccess  ;  he  was  wounded  at  Hamilton,  and  taken 
prisoner  by  Hotspur  Percy ;  refused  to  be  delivered  up  to 
King  Henry  the  Fourth.  This  and  other  bad  blood  was  the 
pretence  for  the  Percy  rebelling,  where  defeat  attended  them, 
and  where  Douglas  was  made  prisoner  by  Henry  the  Fourth, 
1403.  It  seems,  the  inscription  was  made  before  either 
Maggie,  or  her  grim  husband  died  ;  as  he  had  the  gift  of  the 
duchy  of  Touraine,  April,  1424,  and  fell  in  battle,  August  the 
same  year.  Now,  the  wife  was  alive  May,  1426,  for  at  this 
date  she  had  a  charter — "  To  Margaret,  Duchess  of  Tour- 
aine, Countess  of  Douglass,  Lady  of  Galloway  and  Annan- 
dale,  of  the  lordship  of  Galloway,  as  possessed  by  Archibald, 
Duke  of  Touraine,  and  Archibald  de  Douglass  his  father,'* 
according  to  Wood's  Peerage,  page  427.  But  I  am  sick  of 
dates  and  learned  antiquity,  as  I  can  extract  no  fun  out  of 
them ;  however,  I  am  the  devil's  own  drudge  when  I  set 
fairly  to. 

Lingle-Back — Having  a  long  weak  back. 

Linked — Persons  walking  arm  in  arm,  are  said  to  be  linked  or 
huiked. 


LIN  LOI  319 

Links  o*   Peats — Each  division  of  a  peai-stack,  is  called  a 
link  ;  so  the  stack  is  made  up  of  links. 

LiNGED — Lashed,  beaten,  &c. 

LiNTiE — A  linnet ;  also,  a  sweet  young  child. 

LiNTSTRAiK — A  head  or  handful  of  new-dressed  flax. 

LiPPiN-Fu' — Brimming  full  to  the  lips. 

LiRK — A  wrinkle,  a  crevice. 

LiTCH — To  strike  over. 

LiTH — A  joint ;  also,  one  of  those  divisions  of  an  orange,  or 
onion,  of  which  they  are  composed. 

Loaning — A  road  which  has  a  dyke  on  either  side. 

LocHiNBRACK-WELL — A  loch  scarccly  worth  the  speaking 
about,  was  it  not  for  the  famous  mineral  fountain  beside  it ; 
the  waters  of  which  are  of  a  strong  chalybeate  nature,  good 
for  removing  pains  in  the  stomach,  and  other  complaints, 
which  causes  it  in  the  proper  season  to  be  well  attended  by 
invalids ;  and  if  there  were  more  houses  about  it  than  are, 
the  larger,  doubtless,  would  be  the  company.  The  lack 
answers  well  for  the  waterers  to  fish  in,  while  the  moors 
around  are  inhabited  by  grouse,  and  other  moor  fowl. 

Loch  Skeroch — A  large,  wild,  loch,  to  the  north  of  Galloway, 
famous  for  its  scythe  sand.  This  is  found  on  the  beach  of 
the  lake,  and  is  wrought  of  grey-stones,  in  the  lake  by  the 
waters ;  it  is  sold  in  shops  during  the  mowing  season,  at 
about  twopence  the  Scotch  pint 

LoDDANS — Small  pools  of  standing  water. 

Loggie — A  fire  in  a  snug  place,  or  a  snug  place  for  a  fire. 

Loggwater — Luke-warm  water. 

LoiTS — Those  liquid  drops,  which  leap  out  of  pots  when 
they  are  boiling,  and  scaud  those  persons  seated  round  the 
ingle. 


3i8  LINT LIN 

to  Stewart  of  Bonkill^  is  a  scroll,  with  a  few  words  in 
the  Gothic  or  Saxon  character,  but  which  stands  so  high 
that  it  is  impossible  to  decipher  the  inscription  with 
a  common  ladder;  on  the  whole,  this  college  is  a  noble 
old  pile,  and  worthy  of  walking  a  long  summer  day  to 
see.  What  holy  emblems  and  inscriptions  there  are 
about  it ! — the  Three  in  one,  surrounded  by  a  glory,  viz. 
The  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,  with  the  words  /esu 
Christiy  frequently  appear;  also  Mary  and  the  Child, 
with  the  seven  wise  men  kneeling  before  them ;  and,  ac- 
cording to  the  Golden  Legend,  the  two  first  figures  of  this 
group  seem  armed.  I  may  add,  that  Margaret,  mentioned 
already,  daughter  of  King  Robert  the  Third,  whose  husband 
was  Archibald,  the  fourth  Earl  of  Douglass,  was  nick-named 
Tyne  Man,  from  the  many  battles  he  iyned  or  lost,  and  his 
general  unsuccess  ;  he  was  wounded  at  Hamilton,  and  taken 
prisoner  by  Hotspur  Percy ;  refused  to  be  delivered  up  to 
King  Henry  the  Fourth.  This  and  other  bad  blood  was  the 
pretence  for  the  Percy  rebelling,  where  defeat  attended  them, 
and  where  Douglas  was  made  prisoner  by  Henry  the  Fourth, 
1403.  It  seems,  the  inscription  was  made  before  either 
-^^ii^j  or  her  grim  husband  died  ;  as  he  had  the  gift  of  the 
duchy  of  Touraine,  April,  1424,  and  fell  in  battle,  August  the 
same  year.  Now,  the  wife  was  alive  May,  1426,  for  at  this 
date  she  had  a  charter — "  To  Margaret,  Duchess  of  Tour- 
aine, Countess  of  Douglass,  Lady  of  Galloway  and  Annan- 
dale,  of  the  lordship  of  Galloway,  as  possessed  by  Archibald, 
Duke  of  Touraine,  and  Archibald  de  Douglass  his  father," 
according  to  Wood^s  Peerage,  page  427.  But  I  am  sick  of 
dates  and  learned  antiquity,  as  I  can  extract  no  fun  out  of 
them ;  however,  I  am  the  devil's  own  drudge  when  I  set 
fairly  to. 

Lingle-Back — Having  a  long  weak  back. 

Linked — Persons  walking  arm  in  arm,  are  said  to  be  linked  or 
huiked. 


LIN   LOI  319 

Links  o*  Peats — Each  division  of  a  peai-stack,  is  called  a 
link  ;  so  the  stack  is  made  up  of  links. 

LiNGED — Lashed,  beaten,  &c. 

LiNTiE — A  linnet ;  also,  a  sweet  young  child. 

LiNTSTRAiK — A  head  or  handful  of  new-dressed  flax. 

LiPPiN-Fu' — Brimming  full  to  the  lips. 

LiRK — A  wrinkle,  a  crevice. 

LiTCH — To  strike  over. 

LiTH — A  joint ;  also,  one  of  those  divisions  of  an  orange,  or 
onion,  of  which  they  are  composed. 

Loaning — A  road  which  has  a  dyke  on  either  side. 

LocHiNBRACK-WELL — A  loch  scarccly  worth  the  speaking 
about,  was  it  not  for  the  famous  mineral  fountain  beside  it ; 
the  waters  of  which  are  of  a  strong  chalybeate  nature,  good 
for  removing  pains  in  the  stomach,  and  other  complaints, 
which  causes  it  in  the  proper  season  to  be  well  attended  by 
invalids ;  and  if  there  were  more  houses  about  it  than  are, 
the  larger,  doubtless,  would  be  the  company.  The  lack 
answers  well  for  the  waterers  to  fish  in,  while  the  moors 
around  are  inhabited  by  grouse,  and  other  moor  fowl. 

Loch  Skeroch — A  large,  wild,  loch,  to  the  north  of  Galloway, 
famous  for  its  scythe  sand.  This  is  found  on  the  beach  of 
the  lake,  and  is  wrought  of  grey-stones,  in  the  lake  by  the 
waters ;  it  is  sold  in  shops  during  the  mowing  season,  at 
about  twopence  the  Scotch  pint 

LoDDANS — Small  pools  of  standing  water. 

LoGGiE — A  fire  in  a  snug  place,  or  a  snug  place  for  a  fire. 

LoGGWATER — Luke-warm  water. 

LoiTS — Those  liquid  drops,  which  leap  out  of  pots  when 
they  are  boiling,  and  scaud  those  persons  seated  round  the 
ingle. 


320  LON  LOU 

LoNKOR — A  hole  built  through  dykes,  to  allow  sheep  to  pass. 
I  have  no  idea  where  this  word  is  derived  from ;  probably 
from  the  same  source  as  loan, 

LooF-BANE — The  centre  of  the  palm  of  the  hand. 

LooFFiE  Channlestanes — When  curling  first  began,  it  was 
played  by  flat  stones,  or  ioofies  ;  these  are  yet  to  be  found 
in  old  lochs. 

LooFiES — Plain  mittens  for  the  hands. 

Loot-down — To  stoop  down. 

Loup  the  Bullocks — A  very  rustic  sort  of  amusement 
Young  men  go  out  to  a  green  meadow,  and  there,  on  "  all 
fours^^  plant  themselves  in  a  row  about  two  yards  distant 
from  each  other.  Then  he  who  is  stationed  farthest  back  in 
the  ^^ bullock  rank^  starts  up,  and  leaps  over  the  other 
bullocks  before  him,  by  laying  his  hands  on  each  of  their 
backs ;  and  when  he  gets  over  the  last  one,  leans  down 
himself  as  before,  whilst  all  the  others,  in  rotation,  follow  his 
example ;  then  he  starts  and  leaps  again. 

But  what  makes  this  fun  of  a  bullock  or  brutish  description, 
is  the  severe  tumbles  the  leapers  often  meet  with  ;  for  that 
bullock  is  considered  the  most  famous  of  the  ^^lurd^*  that 
can  heave  up  the  "  rurnp  "  highest  and  smartest,  when  the 
leaper  is  going  over,  and  can  launch  him  on  his  nose,  to  the 
effusion  of  his  blood  on  the  meadow ;  yes,  much  "  claret "  to 
use  the  slang  of  pugilists  has  been  spilt,  and  many  wrists 
sprained  at  this  work. 

I  have  sometimes  thought  that  we  have  borrowed  this 
"  recreation "  from  our  neighbours  of  the  "  green  isle,"  as, 
at  their  "  wakes  "  they  have  a  "  play  "  much  of  the  same 
kind,  which  they  seem  to  enjoy,  called  *^^  Riding  Father 
Doudr  One  of  the  "  wakers "  takes  a  stool  in  his  hand, 
another  mounts   that   one's   back;   then,    ^^ Father  Doud'' 


LOU LOU  321 

begins  a  rearing  and  plunging,  and  if  he  unhorses  his  rider 
with  a  dash,  he  does  well.  These  Irish  wakes  must  surely 
be  very  singular  frolics.  There  is  another  "  play'*  at  them 
called  ^^ kicking  the  brogue"  which  is  even  ruder  than 
"  Riding  Father  Daud;"  and  a  third  too,  behind  neither  of 
them  in  rustic  madness,  called  ^^  Scuddieloof"  These 
rough  concerns  originate  from  a  hatred  they  have  at  too 
much  melancholy ;  for,  when  the  parents,  or  other  friends 
of  the  deceased,  see  a  person  at  the  "wake"  dull,  and  sit- 
ting sorry-like,  they  get  displeased,  and  will  say,  "  VV^hy 
came  ye  here  to  mourn  for  one  that's  in  Heaven?"  At 
these  meetings  all  are  made  welcome,  and  a  Scotch  stranger 
is  adored.  Much  whisky  is  drank  at  them,  and  plenty  of 
tobacco  smoked.  Amongst  the  lower  orders  of  the  people 
there  is  no  scene  like  a  **  wake."  And  to  see  the  relations 
of  the  defunct  Papist  retiring,  one  by  one,  now  and  then, 
and  talking  and  asking  questions  at  the  cold  corpse,  really 
bespeaks  a  terrible  ignorance  and  gross  superstition.  If 
the  deceased  has  left  behind  a  wife,  then  will  she  lean 
over  her  breathless  husband,  and  go  on  with  her  tongue  in 
the  following  manner,  rocking  her  body  to  the  words  she 
utters : — "  And  o  !  Bamie,  why  are  ye  gaen  to  lave  me  ? 
what  harm  did  I  to  ye,  Bamie  ?  I  never  struck  ye,  nor 
slighted  ye ;  the  loom  will  stand  toom  now,  for  the  want  o' 
ye,  Barnie ;  and  how  will  I  get  out  the  wcbt  and  how 
shall  I  get  turf  for  the  fire,  Barnie  1  O  !  why  man  did 
ye  lave  me,"  and  so  on.  Then  the  daughter  Bridget,  or 
the  son  Morgan,  will  go  and  make  their  wail,  perhaps,  in 
a  similar  manner.  But  this  wailing  gets  into  howling  on  the 
day  of  the  funeral :  like  the  natives  of  some  savage  nations, 
they  follow  the  bier,  giving  out  shrieks  and  howls  that 
are  heard  miles  off.  "  Oho''^  is  sounded  on  a  thousand 
different  keys.  The  priests  generally  attend  the  funerals  of 
those  who  die  in  their  parishes,  and  this  attention  is  for 
the  sake  of  their  purses,   as  all    their   ''^attentions"    are. 


322  LOU  LOW 

When  they  come  to  a  "cross-road,"  or  any  thing  like  a 
^^  cross,''  the  corpse  is  laid  down  on  the  ground  by  the 
bearers,  and  set  up  at  "  aunction "  by  the  priest.  "  And 
who  will  give  me  most  for  the  sake  of  this  man's  saulV^ 
will  he  say.  Then  one  will  bid  three-pence,  another 
perhaps  five-pence,  and  a  third  may  probably  give  a  penny 
more,  which  six-pence  his  reverence  pockets,  and  tells  his 
poor  infatuated  followers  "  that  this  will  help  the  deceased 
through  purgatory y  A  corpse  has  been  known  to  have 
been  "  set  up  "  by  a  priest  ten  different  times  on  its  way  to 
the  grave.  When  the  interment  of  the  body  is  over,  the 
priest  returns  to  the  "  Bitrial  housed'  and  scares  by  his 
words  the  ^^ spirit''  of  the  deceased  away,  which  is 
thought  to  linger  behind  about  the  ^^  eazles  d  t?u  house]' 
and  other  strange  places.  He  then  regulates  the  ^''beads'' 
of  the  family,  puts  all  the  "  saints "  in  order ;  and  if,  as 
before  fancied,  it  has  been  a  man  that  death  has  taken 
away,  the  priest,  for  common,  passes  the  night  with  the 
widow  woman,  and  trims  her  ^^ heads''*  in  secret  But  I 
am  falling  into  my  wandering  system,  digressing  a  little,  to 
expose  strange  truths ;  truths  that  I  have  fallen  in  with 
while  dipping  into  the  manners  of  the  rustic  world,  and 
may  be  firmly  depended  on  to  be  strictly  true.  To  give 
the  rude  manners  of  Erin  fair  play,  I  may  some  day  soon 
put  through  the  press  a  small  treatise,  written  about  them 
entirely. 

LovEANENDiE — An  exclamation,  "  O  I  strange." 

Lowe,  the  Poet — A  person  about  whom  a  great  deal  has 
been  written  and  said,  and  for  what  reason  I  have  never 
rightly  known.  He  is  held  up  as  being  the  best  poet  that 
ever  sang  in  Galloway.  Far  be  it  from  me  to  take  any 
thing  from  his  character;  yet  I  cannot  help  saying  that  1 
think  more  notice  has  been  taken  of  him  than  he  deserves. 
His  whole  fame  as  a  poet  rests  on  the  song  of  "  Man\ 


LOW  LUC  323 

weep  no  more  for  me  ; "  and  it  is  doubtful  whether  ever  he 
composed  a  line  of  it.  I  met  with  an  honest  man  once, 
who  told  me  "that  he  knew  an  old  woman  who  sang  it 
long  before  Lowe  was  born."  Lowe  had  the  merit,  how- 
ever, of  singing  and  making  it  popular  at  his  singing 
schools;  and  let  him  be  the  author  or  not,  still  the  song  has 
nothing  very  original  about  it  There  are  ten  times  better 
songs,  the  productions  of  Galloway  bards,  and  not  a  word 
about  them.  However,  Fame  trump  away  ;  stop  not  one  of 
thy  blasts  for  Lowe,  for  a  >^Tetch  like  me. 

LowNE — Calm,  not  windy  ;  be  loiane,  speak  in  a  low  voice. 

Lowping-on-Stanes — Stones  common  about  country  inns  for 
getting  into  carts,  or  mounting  horses  from, 

Ix)wsNESS — A  laxness,  purging,  &c. ;  **  to  be  fashed  \A^  a 
lowsness,"  means  not  to  be  costive.  I  have  heard  of  priests 
preaching  themselves  into  a  lowsness,  for  the  sake  of  saving 
sinners.  Poets,  too,  rhyme  themselves  whiles  into  thig 
state  ;  really  men  of  genius  should  be  wary. 

Luce — A  blue  matter  which  is  scraped  off  the  face  in 
shaving. 

Luchter — An  handful  of  com  in  the  straw;  some  reapers 
are  better  than  others  at  rowing  luchters ;  that  is  to  say  better 
at  rolling  a  neat  handful  of  grain  when  they  cut  it. 

LucKiE — A  canty  old  woman,  neither  young,  nor  dead  old. 

YOUR  SERVANT  BIRKBUSH. 

My  dear  Lucky  Clink,  come  now  alter  thy  plan, 
Ye  know  what  I  mean,  you're  beginning  to  blush. 

Come  be  clapped  and  squeez'd  by  anither  bit  man, 
The  bachelor  body,  Your  Servant  Birkbush. 

Long  have  I  courted  thee,  Lucky,  my  love, 

Long  have  I  made  a  most  desperate  push, 
And  a  honeyblob  ay,  unto  me  ye  doth  prove, 

Then  clasp  to  thy  bosom,  Your  Servant  Birkbush. 

Tho*  mine  hair  now  be  grey,  Lucky,  yet  I  am  young. 
As  supple  as  whalebone,  as  straight  as  a  rush, 

Mine  nerves  like  a  youth's  about  twenty  are  strung, 
He*s  as  merry's  a  mautman,  Your  Servant  Birkbush. 


324  I^UC l.UI 

0  !  but  your  heart,  my  kind  deary,  is  warm. 
How  lovely  ye  talk,  and  can  sing  like  a  thrush, 

\Vas  I  made  of  ice,  thou  hast  beauty  could  charm. 
And  make  him  run  mad.  Your  Ser\'ant  Birkbush. 

1  never  yet  found  ye,  sweet  Lucky,  inclined 

To  give  me  a  sneer,  mine  affections  to  crush  ; 
But  I  always  observed,  that  you  fully  designed 
To  wed  sometime  soon,  Your  Servant  Birkbush. 

Now  ye  sit  by  my  side,  this  is  pleasure  indee<l. 

Now  ye  give  me  a  kiss,  I  am  all  in  a  flush. 
My  pulse  moveth  now  at  a  cantering  speed. 

What  enjoyment  is  this,  to  Your  Servant  Birkbush. 

I'm  o'erpowered'd,  scarce  another  bit  thing  can  I  say. 
Lie  still  then,  my  tongue,  all  my  gabbling  hush. 

To  morrow,  I'm  told,  will  be  my  wedding-day. 
Then  hooh,  cockabendie.  Your  Servant  Birkbush. 

LucKPENNY — The  cash  which  the  seller  gives  back  to  the 
buyer,  after  the  latter  has  paid  him?  it  is  given  back  with 
the  hope  that  it  may  prove  a  lucky  bargain. 

LucKRASS — ^The  name  of  a  cross-grained,  cankered,  gudewife. 

LuGGiE — The  horned  owl. 

LuiKiNG  the  Grun — When  a  farmer  starts  in  the  morning, 
staff  in  hand,  and  collie  at  his  foot,  then  clambers  up  one 
hill  and  down  another,  seeing  how  his  cattle  are  faring, 
how  his  labourers  are  going  on,  how  his  crop  looks,  and 
how  the  weather  appears — this  job  is  called  luiking  the 
grun.  If  he  has  taken  too  much  whisky  on  the  market- 
night,  he  throws  the  spring-wells  in  his  range,  while  luiking 
the  grun.  And  though  he  should  leave  his  wife,  sweet  soul, 
by  the  skreech  d  day,  she  rather  out  of  good  humour,  and  he 
with  a  confounded  sair  head,  proceeding  from  the  effects 
of  taking  the  wee  drap ;  yet  after  this  delightful  exercise, 
he  will  return  full  of  health  and  spirits,  and  meet  with  his 
spouse  up  and  bustling  amongst  the  affairs  of  the  household, 
as  busy  as  a  bee,  and  as  happy  as  the  day  is  long.  WTiat 
wonderful  scenes  have  nature  opened  up  to  me  whiles, 
when  luiking  the  grun  ! 


LUM  MAC  325 

LuMMiNG — The  weather  is  said  to  be  lumming  when  raining 
thick ;  a  lutn  d  a  da}\  a  very  wet  day  ;  the  rain  is  just  com- 
ing lumming  down,  when  it  rains  fast ^.  This  word  and  loottt^ 
a  mist  or  fog,  are  of  kindred. 

LuNiESHOTT — The  loin  bone  gone'out  of  its  socket. 

LuNTiNG — Walking  and  smoking  a  pipe. 

LuRDAN — An  extremely  lazy  woman  ;  an  abominable  female. 

LuscAN — A  sturdy  beggar,  and  a  thief.  iCluscan  was  lodged 
once  in  a  farm-house  in  the  parish  of  Minniegaff,  and  thought 
proper  to  walk  off  in  the  morning  with  the  bed-clothes, 
which  had  been  given  him  to  sleep  in  during  the  night ; 
but  he  had  not  long  made  off  with  his  booty,  before  he  was 
bewildered  in  a  misty  day;  so  our  luscan  wandered,  and 
knew  not  where  he  was  going ;  he  still  kept  walking  on, 
however,  and  when  evening  came,  a  house  appeared  in  view, 
so  he  would  go  in  and  seek  quarters ;  but  what  house  was 
this  but  the  very  one  he  had  left  in  the  morning?  and  what 
gudewife  did  he  meet  but  the  one  he  had  robbed?  The 
scene  dumfounder'd  the  wTetch,  and  stcarfd  him  so,  that  he 
could  not  utter  a  word. 

Lye — Pasture  land  about  to  be  tilled ;  ploughmen  talk  about 
the  lifting  of  a  tuich  lye  with  as  much  concern  as  statesmen 
do  about  nations,  or  astronomers  about  other  worlds. 

Lyse-Hay — Hay  mowed  off  pasture  land,  and  not  off  meadows  ; 
this  hay  is  more  difficult  to  mow  than  any  other  kind,  for 
it  has  what  mawsters  call  a  matted  sole,  which  racks  the 
shouthcr-blades  in  cutting  it,  and  makes  the  boutings  short  to 
a  sharp. 

M. 

Macdiarmid— John  M*Diarmid,  Esq.,  Editor  of  the  "Dum- 
fries and  Galloway  Courier,"  a   gentleman   well   worthy  a 


326  MAG  MAC 

place  in  my  never-failing  Encyclopaedia ;  for  ever  since  he 
became  connected  with  the  south,  as  a  journalist,  he  has 
behaved  himself  like   a  man   of  honest  genius.     He  has 
reported  many  good  original  things,  and  his  ears  have  never 
been  shut  to  the  calls  of  real  merit,  for  which  he  is  and  long 
will  be  well  liked  all  over  Galloway.  The  rustic  poets  around 
have  ever  found  him  leaving  a  corner  to  their  service,  and 
many  have  availed  themselves  of  sporting  the  muse  on  that 
esplanade.    The  most  prominent  of  these  have  been   the 
Reverend  Mr.  Gillespy,  of  Kells,  a  gentleman  surely  a  very 
good  poet,  but  just  rather  too  refined  for  my  taste  (I  am 
fond  of  hearing  the  rude  sough  of  nature).     Mr.  Malcomson, 
of  Kirkcudbright,  has  also  given  us  some  good  verses  on 
Tears  and  Snawdrops;  while  Mr.  Millar  has  sung  "  Mamma, 
Mamma^^  very  prettily,  and  the  scenery  seen  from  the  tap  o 
Criffle,     But  the  hero  of  this  article  is  a  better  poet  himself 
than  any  of  these.     Behold  his  talents  directed  this  way  in 
the  early  numbers  of  Blackiuood,  when  he  was  allowed  to  be 
the  first  orator,  except  the  Ettrick  Shepherd,  in  the  forum  of 
Auld  Reekie.     His  Scrap  Book,  too,  evinces  that  its  author 
knows    good   composition    from    bad;    while    his   Life  of 
Coiiper,  the  darling  English  poet,  is  a  biographical  sketch 
rarely  gone  beyond,  and  could  not  have  been  written  by 
any  but  a  person   of  similar  taste  :    such   is   the    honest 
fact,   as   felt  by  me ;    the  world,    though,    may   speak   for 
itself.     In  dressing  up  an  account  of  a  Rood  Fair,  a  S7C'ol- 
len  Nith,  a  Burns'    Anniversary,    and    such    things,    our 
thor  has  great   merit ;  he   gives   ihem   that  natural   touch 
which   mightier  pencils  could  not  pourtray.     He  has  also 
been  the  means  of  helping  forward  to  notice  a  merchant 
in   Dumfries,  a  Mr.  M'Vittey,  the  same  person,  I  suspect, 
who  sang  the  battle  of  Dryfe  Sands,  and  who  published 
Tales  for  the   ingle-check,   a   little    while    ago,   which    are 
thought  by  me  to  be  fair  wark.     So  much  then  for  Mac- 


MAC MAC  327 

diarmid,  and  this  much  will  often  be  read  when  he  and  me 
are  no  more. 

O  !  the  pleasures  poets  feel, 

When  they  do  ride  a  sound  Pegasus, 
With  daring  front  and  nimble  heel, 

What  hobby-horseman  them  surpasses  ? 

A  brave  Pegasus,  that  doth  scorn 

To  tramp  the  path  ere  trod  by  any. 
Even  tho'  its  own  should  seem  forlorn , 

Devoid  of  sweets  and  beauties  many. 

And  will  not  yield  for  deserts  drear, 

With  whirling  sand  and  thorny  bramble, 
Will  snore  through  stormy  seas  'thout  fear, 

And  o*er  the  hugest  mountains  scramble. 

Nor  turn  aside  for  tempests  black, 

For  savage  gales,  unpitcous  howling. 
Nor  for  the  forest  grim  put  back, 

Tho'  bloody  tigers  round  be  growling. 

But  bear  along  its  rider  strange, 

Through  worlds  where  curious  tribes  are  swarming. 
Where  scenes  delight  to  hourly  change. 

From  something  wild  to  something  charming. 

Fly,  where  balloons  can  never  fly. 

Sail,  where  no  ship  can  sail,  nor  shallop, 
Fling  far  behind  both  earth  and  sky. 

And  through  celestial  regions  gallop. 

So  may  he  sing  the  glowing  song. 

The  song  that  sets  the  heart  a  weeping. 
That  manly  song  by  nature  strong. 

Which  never  lalls  a  nodding,  sleeping. 

But  groweth  like  the  summer  rose, 

The  root  being  in  the  human  bosom. 
How  can  it  wither?  still  it  blows, 

And  bloometh  in  eternal  blossom. 

Mactaggart — This  is  no  less  a  personage  than  myself, 
born  some  twenty-five  years  ago,  at  Plunton,  in  the  parish 
of  Borgue,  quite  beside  the  auld  castle  d  Plunton,  The 
Friday  night  before  Kelton-hill  fair  was  the  night  in 
which  I,  gommerall  yohnic^  first  opened  my  mouth  in  this 
wicked  world.  My  father  is  a  farmer,  and  throughout  my 
pilgrimage  on  earth,  from  the  cradle  till  this  moment,  I 
have  never  met  with  any  whom  I  considered  had  so  much 
native  strength  of  intellect,      l^t  no  man  say  of  me,  that 


328  MAC  MAC 

I  am  a  creature  of  ability,  for  such  would  be  wrong ;  but 
that  my  worthy  parent  is,  and  to  a  great  degree,  is  right; 
his  father  was  also  a  farmer,  and  my  grandfather's  grand- 
father got  his  head  cloven  at  the  brack  d  Dunbar^  fight- 
ing in  the  Highland  army  against  Oliver  CromwelL  The 
name  Mactaggart  comes  directly  from  the  Gaelic,  as  all 
names  beginning  with  Mac  do.  Mac^  a  son,  and  tachart^ 
a  priest;  signifying,  the  son  of  a  priest  God  knows  if 
there  be  much  of  a  priest  about  me.  My  father  rented 
the  farm  of  Plunton  from  Murray  of  Broughton,  and  this 
being  at  the  outskirt  of  the  parish,  my  lot  was  cast  three 
miles  from  the  parish  school.  A  half  grown  boy  was  there- 
fore brought  into  the  house  to  teach  my  sisters  and  me  the 
A,  B,  C,  for  I  had  then  two  sisters  older  than  myself;  though 
1  was  the  oldest  of  the  boys.  There  were  eleven  of  us 
altogether  once,  six  boys  and  five  girls ;  but  I  have  lost  two 
dear  sisters.  Well,  this  boy  taught  and  lashed  us  occasion- 
ally. I  mind  of  being  happy  when  the  harrowing  came  on, 
as  my  father  required  him  to  harrow  the  ploughed  land  in 
the  sowing  season,  and  not  us.  A  neighbouring  farmer 
became  partner  with  my  father  in  this  dominie^  so  one  part  of 
the  year  my  sisters  and  me  went  to  this  farmer's  house,  and 
were  taught  along  with  his  family,  and  they  came  to  us  in 
return.  While  at  this  work,  coming  home  one  night  I 
tumbled  into  a  peat-hole^  and  should  have  been  drowned,  had 
not  my  sisters  been  with  me;  they  /laurfd  me  out,  and  so 
saved  a  valuable  life  from  perishing  in  glaur.  At  length  my 
sisters  were  thought  strong  enough  to  go  to  Borgue  academy  ; 
the  teaching  boy  was  set  adrift,  and  I  being  only  six  years  of 
age,  was  allowed  to  remain  happy  at  home,  as  not  thought 
able  to  accompany  them.  So  I  ran  about  and  hunted  butter- 
flies, built  little  houses  on  brae  sides,  and  adorned  them  with 
bleached  j)eriwinkle  shells,  brought  to  me  from  the  shore  ; 
I  also  waded  in  a  burn  that  ran  by  beside  the  house,  and 
neived  beardocks.      1  had  no  companion  but  a  hoolet\  this 


MAC MAC  329 

was  brought  me  when  young  from  the  auld  castle ;  I  fed  it 
with  mice,  but  it  found  the  way  to  an  old  sooty  trufflaft^ 
and  there  caught  plenty  of  mice  for  itself;  one  day  it  came 
down  from  its  reeky  habitation,  to  wash  itself,  having  need 
enough  of  that ;  and  while  doing  so,  in  a  tub  by  the  door- 
cheek,  a  cock  came  the  way,  and  sank  its  deadly  spurs  into 
the  scull  of  my  poor  hoolet ;  I  mourned  about  this  many 
a  day.  At  last  I  was  thought  fit  to  go  with  my  sisters 
to  school,  and  then  again  begun  my  woes;  nothing  could 
I  learn.  I  was  begun  to  the  Latin  long  before  I  knew  any 
thing  almost  of  English;  as  the  order  ran  in  these  days, 
"  one  could  not  be  put  to  the  Latin  too  young."  Of  a 
truth  then  I  was  put  young  enough  to  it,  but  could  learn 
nothing  about  it  I  was  lashed  upstairs  and  downstairs, 
and  was  saved,  I  believe,  from  dying  an  unnatural  death, 
by  my  parents  flitting  from  Lennox  Plunton,  to  the  farm 
of  Torrs^  in  the  parish  of  Kirkcudbright  A  country 
school  lay  just  beside  us,  we  had  only  a  hill  to  go  over  to 
it ;  the  master  taught  the  scholars  no  Latin ;  this  was  a 
great  thing  to  me ;  he  was  quite  an  easy,  soothing  teacher, 
a  good  counter^  and  could  read  and  write  pretty  well. 
With  him  I  began  to  learn  somewhat  I  begat  an  affec- 
tion for  arithmetic,  and  was  soon  the  best  hand  amongst 
figures  in  the  school,  going  through  all  the  count-books 
that  came  before  me,  like  smoke.  In  truth,  Mr.  Craig  is 
an  excellent  teacher ;  he  gives  nature  fair  play ;  he  lets  the 
scholars  pursue  their  own  inclination,  be  that  what  it  will. 
If  I  have  any  learning,  or  any  genius  about  me,  to  this  man 
am  I  indebted  for  their  improvement  Had  he  been  a 
dominie  who  gave  out  tasks,  who  obliged  the  scholars  to 
learn  this,  and  then  that,  who  made  a  slave  of  the  mind, 
when  in  its  tender  state,  and  who  valued  the  feelings 
nothing,  I,  Mac,  would  never  have  been  heard  of.  I 
should  have  crawled  about,  a  mean  artificial  worm  of  man's 
formation,  without  one  sj)ark   of  nature's  fire  about    me. 


330  MAC  MAC 

Whenever  a  fox-hunt^  a  shipwreck^  a  bofispeil,  or  such  thing 
happened  in  the  neighbourhood,  the  school  was  flung  open 
to  all  who  wished  to  run  and  see ;  and  I,  for  one,  seldom 
stayed  behind.     Indeed  I  was  looked  on  as  rather  a  careless 
boy  of  my  book^  spdUd  heucJis  for  gulI-cggSy  and  trees  for 
young  craws  ;  went  a  fishing  frequently ;  attended  all  raffles, 
tea-drinkings,  fairs,  and  what  not     Wherever  there  were  any 
curious  sights  to  be  seen,  there  was  I ;  nothing  would  have 
kept  me  from  them :  but  as  I  got  older  I  met  with  fewer 
novelties.      My  father,   thinking    from    my  habits    I    was 
learning  but  little  at  the  country  school,  (being  fond  of  read- 
ing nothing  but  ballads  and  histories,  as  they  came  to  the 
house  in  the  wallet  of  the  hawker),  sent  me  to  the  academy 
at  Kirkcudbright,  a  distance  of  four  miles;  this  I  had  to 
go  and  come  every  day.     During  winter  I  could  not  get 
to  it  very  regularly,  with  bad  weather;  and  in  spring  and 
harvest,  when  a  throng  was  about  the  farm,  I  had  to  stay, 
or  rather  I  was  fond  to  stay,  and  lend  a  hand.     For  all, 
when  the  examination  came  on,  I  laid  all  the  school  below 
me  with  the  mathematics,  and  so  obtained  the  premium. 
Being  nothing,  however,  but  a  mathematician,  the  rest  of 
the  boys  laughed  at  me ;  so  I  would  go  and  learn  French. 
I  attended  this  an  hour  every  day,  but  could   not  learn 
it,  because  tasks  were  laid  out      I  now,  in  my  thirteenth 
year,  took  a  huff  at  schools  and  schoolmasters  altogether, 
leaving  them  both  with  disgust       At  this  my  parents  were 
displeased ;  however,  they  let  me  take  my  own  mind  of  it, 
and  as  I  now  had  to  work  at  little  jobs  about  the  fami,  I 
soon  relished  this  life  not  very  well  either ;    so  I  would 
learn   a   trade:    a   mill-7uright  was    thought  a  good    one, 
and  a  ship-carpenter,  but  I  would  go  and   bind  myself  to 
neither ;    that  of  a  book-pri?iter  pleased  me  best  of  any ;   I 
wrote  to  the  firm  of  Oliver  and  Boyd,  Edinburgh,  stating 
the  matter,  and  my  wish  to  become  an  apprentice.      My 
letter  was  never  answered.      I  wrote  again  to  Fairbairn  and 


MAC  MAC  331 

Co.  in  the  same  city,  aiid  to  Mr.  Jackson,  Dumfries,  but 
never  received  any  answer  from  either,  which  caused  me  to 
grow  very  dull.  It  was  about  this  time  that  I  began  to  feel 
a  melancholy  working  in  on  me,  which  I  will  never  get  rid  of. 
I  may  here  mention  though,  that  ever  since  that  night  on 
which  my  mother  told  me  that  there  would  come  a  day  on 
which  I  should  die^  and  be  covered  up  with  cold  mould  in  a 
grave,  I  have  been  rather  haunted  with  thought  \  it  gives  the 
young  mind  a  dreadful  shock  on  being  first  made  acquainted 
with  this  awful  truth.  Finding,  therefore,  myself  worsted  in 
getting  to  be  a  printer,  I  consoled  myself  with  my  lot,  and 
became  extremely  bookish  inclined;  and,  as  the  old  song 
goes — 

**  I  bought  and  borrowed  every  where, 

*'  I  studied  night  and  day, 
**  Ne'er  miss'd  A%'hat  Dean  nor  Doctor  wrote, 

**  That  happen'd  in  my  way." 

I  began  to  the  French  again  by  myself,  and  soon  could 
translate  it,  and  the  Latin  too.  I  got  hold  of  a  dictionary 
and  Virgil,  and  pondered  away  the  long  fore-nights,  A 
friend  who  lived  in  the  neighbourhood  had  an  Encyclo- 
paedia Britannica;  this  I  was  given  whenever  I  wanted  a 
volume ;  and  I  must  own  I  have  received  no  small  benefit 
from  this  kindness.  I  gathered  ten  times  more  out  of  that 
book  than  I  did  at  the  College  of  Edinburgh ;  a  place  to 
which  I  started  on  foot,  staff  in  hand,  when  in  my  nineteenth 
year.  Before  this  time  I  had  taken  a  ramble  through  Eng- 
land, had  been  often  in  love,  had  wrote  poetry,  and  the  devil 
knows  what.  I  have  rhymed  since  ever  I  remember,  but  I 
keeped  dark.  After  passing  a  hard  winter  in  Edinburgh, 
attending  my  favourite  natural  classes,  reading  from  libra- 
ries, writing  for  magazines,  and  what  not,  I  returned  to  the 
rural  world  in  the  spring ;  and  the  next  winter  I  went  back  to 
Edinburgh,  but  not  to  attend  the  college,  though  that  was 
the  ai)parent  motive.  I  never  received  any  good  from 
attending  the  University.     I  was  there  told  nothing  but  what 


332  MAC MAC 

I  had  before  gathered.  But  I  am  running  this  sketch  too 
far;  let  my  Edinburgh  adventures,  my  wanderings  through 
Scotland,  my  learning  the  engineering,  my  trip  to  London, 
my  rebuffs  from  Fortune,  and  my  receiving  them  kindly,  my 
finding  an  independent  way  of  making  an  honest  livelihood 
with  industry,  &c  &c.  form  the  subject  of  another  foolish  dis- 
course at  some  future  period. 

When  I  reached  my  twenty-first  year,  the  following  poetic 
coin  my  muse  cast  forth  from  her  mint,  inscribed — 

MAC   IS  MAJOR. 

Now  A/ac,  upon  the  Soloway  shore, 
Whar  seamaws  skirl  and  pellocks  snore. 

And  whilks  and  muscles  cheep  ; 
Whar  puffins  on  the  billows  ride. 
And  dive  adown  the  foaming  tide. 
For  sillar-fry  sae  deep. 

Puir  cheil  his  ane-and-twentieth  year, 

He  entereth  upon. 
My  merry  days  are  past,  I  fear. 
And  sad  anes  comine  on — 

Nae  matter,  Til  batter 

As  weel's  I  can  through  life, 
Ay  dash  on,  and  brash  on. 
Throughout  this  wardly  strife. 

Thanks  to  thee,  Death,  wi'  a'  my  heart. 
For  hauding  back  thy  wutter'd  dart, 

Sae  lang  frae  stanging  me  ; 
The  smapox,  meazles,  and  a  fever. 
Ye  let  me  through  'thout  seeming  ever 

To  wuss  that  I  sud  dee. 

I  hope  yc'Il  let  me  yet  awhile. 
Wild  nature's  warks  admire. 
And  up  Parnassus  twaV  three  mile, 
Clim'  till  1  lag  and  tire — 

For  thinking,  and  clinking, 

Hae  ay  been  a'  my  joy, 
And  stringing,  and  singing, 
The  foolish  laddie's  toy. 

To  dauner  by  the  craigie  felLs, 
Amang  brown  fog  and  heather  bells. 

Or  roun  the  lanely  shore  ; 
And  there  to  croon  the  feeling  sang, 
Warm  frae  the  heart  no  unco  lang, 

I  dearly  do  ailore. 


MAC  MAC  333 


WTiile  glowering  al  the  azure  sky. 

And  loomy  ocean's  ure. 
Which  Phoebus  makes  whan  he  is  dry, 
Thrang  sooking  waters  pure — 
Contente<l,  and  scented 

By  blooming  flowers  around, 
What  pleasures,  and  treasures, 
I  thus  hae  aften  found. 

There's  mony  a  wanton  minor  laird, 
Wi'  frothy  haums  and  goarling  baird, 

Wha  langs  to  be  my  age  ; 
Sae  that  he  just  might  hae  a  fill, 
Without  being  curbed  o'  his  free  will. 

His  passions  wild  that  rage. 

That  he  might  ope  the  sillar  stores, 

Collected  aff  the  grounds. 
And  flash  the  same  mang  winking  whores, 
Trig  flonkies,  horses,  hounds — 
Ay  lashing,  and  dashing. 

As  fast  as  he  cud  ca. 
Ne'er  thinking — but  drinking, 
And  florying  awa. 

But  Hoch-anee,  to  humble  me, 
Nae  gowden  hordes  collected  be, 

That  I  may  smack  al>out ; 
And  see  the  warl  and  a*  its  games. 
To  lewdly  lie  wi'  Paris  dames. 

And  blaw  a  rotten  snout. 

Or  in  the  parliament  to  gab, 

A  fulty,  feckless  story, 
Fu'  fit  to  give  the  yaws  or  scab, 
To  either  whig  or  tory — 

Unpestered,  sequestered. 
Deep  hidden  I  remain. 
Whiles  sawing,  whiles  mawing. 
As  seasons  come  again. 

O,  endless  is  the  farmer's  toil, 
To  rake  the  rent  frae  aff  the  soil. 

Else  twig  the  mealpowk's  strings ; 
A  harvest's  never  snodly  shorn. 
Unless  the  shearers  every  mom. 

Are  early  on  the  wing. 

Through  ilka  turning  o*  the  year, 

I  moil  and  brose  awa. 
E'en  out  in  winter  I  appear, 
Amang  the  frost  and  sna — 

Cauld  poddering,  and  foddering. 

The  nought  amang  the  biels, 
Then  curling,  and  hurling, 
The  channlestane  at  spiels. 


334  MAC MAC 

A  lanely  melancholy  lad, 

Ane  quarter  wise,  three  quarters  mad, 

\Vi*  gloomy  brow  a  burning ; 
Whiles  merry  too,  and  looking  gay, 
Enjoying  then  a  sunny  day, 

Before  rude  storms  returning — 

Is  what  I  am,  and  in  this  breast 
I  find  wild  creatures  working, 

A  throbbing  pulse  that  will  not  rest. 
Strong  independence  lurking — 

Nae  cringing,  nae  whinging, 
Shall  ever  come  frae  me. 

Nor  fanning,  nor  yawning. 
My  stars  have  boni  me  free  ; 

Gang  and  be  slaves  ye  fools  wha  will. 
And  get  wharwith  your  kytes  to  fill, 

Frae  ither  bigger  knaves  ; 
I  envy  not  your  fu*  broth  pot. 
Your  beefy,  bursen,  rifting  lot. 

And  roomy  howket  graves. 

Rather  aneath  yon  binwud  brae, 
Amang  the  yellow  broom, 

I'd  on  the  bonny  e'ening  stray, 
Wi*  belly  rather  toom — 

What's  jinking,  and  slinking. 
And  crouching  night  and  day. 

To  grandeurs,  and  splendours. 
Which  nature  doth  display. 

I'll  never  hae  a  poet's  name, 
Nor  in  the  gaudy  house  of  fame. 

Enjoy  a  wee  bit  garret ; 
The  clinking  I  may  hit,  hooh,  hoo. 
As  also  could  the  cockatoo. 

Or  green  Brazilian  parrot. 

I  want  that  potent  pithy  nerve. 
Which  Bardies  ought  to  hae, 

Frae  nature  too,  I  owre  far  swerve, 
And  her  sweet  melody — 

The  muse  whiles,  refuse  whiles, 
To  lend  poor  Mac  a  lift. 

She'll  sneer  me,  and  jeer  me, 
And  winna  come  in  tift. 

The  lasses  tho'  are  glad  o'  me. 
Sweet  dearies  wi'  the  blythsome  e'e, 

And  I  lo'e  them  as  weel ; 
They  are  the  soul  of  this  dull  earth, 
Whaever  hates  them  damns  his  birth. 

And  lives  a  canker'd  cheil. 


MAC  MAC  335 

O  !  if  I  had  her  in  my  arms, 

My  fair,  my  blodming  queen, 
She  wha  my  heart  for  ever  warms, 
And  ay  my  love  has  been — 

I'd  kiss  her,  and  bhss  her. 

And  praise  her  to  the  skies, 
I'd  clap  her,  and  hap  her, 
Frae  every  blast  tnat  tlies. 

For  a'  sae  shortly's  I  hae  been 
Upon  this  warl'  what  hae  I  seen. 

Big  hubbies  never  ending  ; 
How  mony  millions  ither  nosing. 
How  mony  thousands  peace  pn>posing. 

Yet  the  deil's  ne'er  mending. 

Broils  wi'  pens,  and  broils  wi'  swords. 
And  graves  wi'  bouks  a  cramming, 
(jloomy  plots,  and  lofty  words. 
Silly  man  a  shamming — 

But  brattle  and  rattle, 

My  slavering  gomfs,  awa, 
I'm  fearless,  and  careless, 
O'  you  baith  ane  and  a'. 

I'll  ramble  down  my  rural  hows, 

And  jump  amang  the  clints  and  knows, 

And  rant  my  sangs  fu'  cheery  ; 
And  roose  auld  Scotland  a'  I  can, 
Like  ony  ither  honest  man, 

For  o'  her  I'm  ne'er  weary, 

She  yet  has  been  fu'  kind  to  mc, 

A  mither  true  and  feithfu' 
To  glunch  at  her  I'd  sorry  be. 
Ay  most  confounded  laithfu' 

But  here  then,  I'll  speer  then, 

Gif  it  be  time  to  quat, 
The  de'il  man,  can  tell  man, 
'Tis  fully  time  for  that. 

Some  of  my  readers  may  probably  think  me  a  bit  of  a 
poet,  by  the  spouting  I  hold,  but  'tis  nonsense ;  when  I 
publish  my  poem  of  the  Rustic  Madman,  which  I  have 
past  me  in  Six  Tornadoes,  then  will  appear  what  I  am  as  a 
poet : — 

Suppose  I  was  the  richest  man, 

That  ever  strode  upon  the  globe. 
Suppose  I  rode  in  gold  sedan. 

And  wore  a  weighty  diamond  robe. 

Had  shoals  of  slaves  both  he  and  she. 
Had  sporting  ladies,  many  a  score. 


336  MAD MAL 

Had  grandeur  quite  done  out  with  me, 
And  luxury  exhausted  sore. 

An  independent  man  with  sense, 

Would  be  a  greater  man  by  far, 
F!ven  though  his  purse  contained  but  pence 

A  noble  soul's  without  a  par. 

Then  scratch  your  dross  from  every  shore. 

Ye  greedy,  bustling,  grubbing  men, 
Sum  up  at  last,  what  s  in  the  store. 

And  'twill  amount  to  nothing  then, 

Mades — The  larvae,  or  seed  of  mawks^  maggots ;  as  laid  by  the 
blue  douped  mawking  flee,  or  maggot  fly,  on  humpKd  or 
putrid  flesh. 

Makers — A  tract  of  low,  wet  lying  land,  of  a  marshy 
and  moory  nature ;  Mahermore  or  Mahermere,  is  a  speci- 
men. 

Maiden — An  ancient  instrument,  for  holding  the  broaches  of 
pirns  until  the  pirns  be  wound  off". 

Maiden-hair — The  muscles  of  oxen,  when  boiled,  termed  fix 
faux,  towards  the  border ;  it  is  called  maiden-hair,  from  its 
resembling  in  colour  the  hair  of  a  maiden  ;  the  gmudefi-fair, 
sometimes  too  it  is  ycleped  yellmv  hair, 

Maiden-kimmer — The  maid  who  attends  the  kimmer ;  or 
matron  who  has  the  charge  of  the  infant  at  kimmerings  and 
baptisms ;  who  lifts  the  babe  into  the  arms  of  its  father,  to 
receive  the  sprinkling  of  salvation. 

Maillies — An  affectionate  name  for  sheep  ;  from  mae,  the  bleat 
of  a  sheep. 

Maister — A  dominie  ;  a  school-master. 

Male-a-forren — A  meal  of  meat,  over  and  above  what  is  con- 
sumed ;  a  meal  before  hand. 

Mall — Moll ;  Mally — Molly.  Mall  Trott  was  a  cha- 
racter well  known  over  Galloway.  Perhaps  as  well  as 
Hudibras's  Mall  Cutpurse,  or   Defoe's  Moll  Flanders,  are 


MAL MAR  337 

to    the   curious   reader;    hear   the   song   of  Mally    Whur- 

lie : — 

O,  wha  is't  ye  like  best, 
Ve  like  best,  ye  like  best, 
O,  wha  is't  ye  like  best  ? 

My  merry  Mally  lVhurlu\ 

There's  nane  amang  the  hills  and  hows, 
Nor  yet  amang  the  Fumart  knows, 
Wha  I  can  every  inch  gae  roose, 

But  jolly  Wully  Gurlic. 

And  what's  Wullie  but  a  gow  ? 

But  a  gow,  but  a  gow, 

And  what's  Wullie  but  a  gow  ? 

My  merry  Mallie  Whurlie. 

He*s  worth  a  hunner  gows  and  ten, 
I  wat  he  is  the  king  o'  men, 
Tho'  laird  but  o'  a  clocking  hen, 

My  jolly  IVttlly  Gurlie. 

Ay  atweel  he's  poor  enough, 
I*oor  enough,  poor  enough. 
Ay  atweel  he's  poor  enough, 

My  merry  Mally  Whurlie. 

But  what's  his  poverty  to  me, 
For  riches  care  I  no  a  flee. 
He's  ay  worth  ony  ten  o'  thee, 

>Iy  jolly  Wnllif  Gurlie, 

Manitoodlie — An  affectionate  term  which  nurses  give  to  male 
children. 

Mankie — An  ancient  kind  of  worsted  stuff,  much  glazed,  worn 
by  females  ;  where  it  was  manufactured  I  have  not  gathered  ; 
it  could  not  have  been  in  the  Isle  of  Man, 

Map  SI  E — A  pet-sheep,  called  so  from  its  map^  mapping  with  its 
lips ;  young  hares  are  also  mapsies, 

Mark  nor  Burn — The  same  with  hilt  nor  hair ;  when  one 
loses  anything  and  finds  it  not  again,  we  are  said  to  never 
see  mark  nor  burn  of  it  again ;  it  is  a  shepherd's  phrase,  as 
he  bums  the  sheep  with  a  red  hot  iron  on  the  horns  and 
nose,  to  enable  him  to  know  them. 

Mark  o*  Mouth — A  mark  in  the  mouth,  whereby  horse, 
sheep,  and  other  cattle-dealers,  know  the  age  of  the  ani- 

V 


33^  MAR MAY 

mal  by  opening  its  lips.  I  believe  the  mark  respects  the 
number  of  teeth,  as  these  animals,  for  a  certain  number  of 
years,  get  two  new  teeth  annually ;  but  when  they  live 
beyond  a  certain  period,  they  lose  the  mark  d  mouth  ;  old 
maidens  are  said  sometimes  to  have  lost  the  mark  o*  mouth, 
when  the  rose  leaves  the  cheek,  and  the  snowy  breasts, 
which  once  seemed  like  little  hills,  have  melted  or  shrunk 
away. 

Markstanes — Stones  set  up  on  end  for  marks  in  the  days  of 
yore,  that  farmers  might  know  the  marches  of  their  fisirms, 
and  lairds  the  boundaries  of  their  lands  :  these  stones  are 
most  common  in  the  moors. 

Maunt — To  speak  thick  and  fast ;  to  have  a  marrva  the  speech. 

Mautman — A  man  who  makes  malt  Sometime  ago,  maltmen 
had  always  good  ale  about  them,  so  were  merry ;  hence  arose 
the  phrase,  "  as  merry s  a  mautman^ 

Mawster — A  mower ;  a  wielder  of  the  scythe. 

Maw-waw — A  tom-cat's  cry  when  he  goes  a  courting. 

Mayne — ^John  Mayne,  Esq.,  part  editor  and  owner  of  the 
newspaper  called  "  The  Star,"  a  London  paper,  published 
every  evening.  This  gentleman  is  a  Gallovidian,  and  a 
poet ;  he  is  the  author  of  that  well-known  poem  the  Sillar 
Gutiy  a  poem,  Walter  Scott  says,  is  beyond  the  might  of 
Robert  Fergusson,  and  approaches  nearer  to  Bums  than 
anything  in  the  Scotch  language ;  this  says  much  for 
Mr.  Mayne*s  muse.  In  my  opinion,  the  Sillar  Gun  is  a 
good  rustic  poem,  though  I  think  the  young  bard  before 
mentioned  the  greater  poet  of  the  two.  He  also  wrote  the 
sweet  song  of  Logan  Braes^  a  poem  named  Glasgow; 
another  way  of  Kirkconnel-lee,  different  from  that  of 
Stewart  Luis,  the  author  of  Owre  the  Muir  amang  the 
Heather,  Mr.  M.  was  bred  a  printer,  is  now  an  old  re- 
spectable  man,   with    much    of    the    Scotchman's   warmth 


MEA MEL 


339 


about  him,  with  the  soul  of  genius  still  glinting  in  his  eye. 
It  refreshes  me  very  much  to  get  a  shake  of  the  hand  and 
a  crack  from  Mr.  Mayne,  for  there  is  more  goodness  and 
originaHty  about  him  than  I  can  express. 

Meal-Hogyett — A  barrel  For  holding  oatmeal. 

Mealoms — Very  dry  potatoes,  when  boiled. 

Mealpowk  and  the  String — Begging  accoutrements. 

Mealstanes — Rude  stones  of  seventeen  and  a  half  pounds 
weight,  used  in  weighing  oatmeal. 

Meg  o'  mony  Feet — A  black  hard  worm,  with  many  hundred 
feet,  and  two  feelers  before ;  it  is  quite  common  between  the 
stones  of  old  dykes,  and  suspicious  places;  its  length  is 
generally  about  three  inches,  and  the  bite  of  it  poisonous. 
Hence  it  is  dreaded  by  youths;  indeed,  children  have  a 
natural  instinct  to  dread  it.  For  all  the  number  of  feet  it  has, 
and  which  has  given  rise  to  its  name,  the  motions  of  it  are 
not  quick,  and  when  any  way  interrupted  it  coils  itself  up. 
There  is  another  sort  of  worm  found  in  the  same  kind  of 
place  with  this,  and  has  a  number  of  feet  also,  though  not  so 
many  as  the  other,  yet  its  movements  are  much  quicker; 
the  colour  of  this  one  is  grass-green;  it  has  no  name,  but  may 
be  termed,  with  propriety  methinks,  the  Scotch  centipee,  as  it 
is  of  the  same  genera  with  the  centipee  of  the  torrid  zone. 

Mellgrave — A  break  in  a  highway;  a  place  requiring  the 
genius  of  M^Adam,  the  celebrated  roadman^  to  repair  it. 
In  roads  which  pass  through  soft  countries,  mellgraves  most 
prevail ;  it  is  said  that  a  horse  with  its  rider  once  sank  in  a 
mellgrave  somewhere  in  Ayrshire,  and  were  never  more  heard 
of. 

Mell  I*  THE  Shaft — A  phrase,  literally  meaning  a  mell^  or 
maul,  or  mallet  in  shaft,  but  used  allegorically  thus  : — when 
a  person's  worldly  affairs  get  disordered,  it  is  said  the  mell 
cannot  be  keeped  in  the  shaft ;  now,  unless  the  mell  ht  keeped 


340  MER  MID 

in  the  shafts  no  work  can  be  done.  Bills  become  immoveable 
the  day  and  the  way  cannot  be  keeped  clear  ;  and  when,  by 
struggling,  a  man  is  not  overset,  he  is  said  to  have  keeped  the 
null  in  the  shaft,  or  the  soul  and  body  in  partnership. 

Merlie — Sandy  and  sweet ;  when  honey  is  in  this  state,  it  is 
said  to  be  merlie  ;  when  it  is  beginning  to  grow  this  way,  it 
merles  ;  and  when  it  is  let  go  on,  it  is  merling. 

Mermaid's  Purse — A  beautiful  kind  of  sea-weed  box,  which 
is  found  driven  in  on  the  shores,  of  an  oblong  shape,  that 
is  to  say,  longer  than  broad,  being  about  two  inches  and 
a  half  one  way,  and  three  the  other,  with  a  long  spraing 
or  talon  stretching  out  from  each  comer,  as  long  as  the 
box  ;  it  is  of  a  raven-black  colour  on  the  outside  and  sea- 
green  within,  hoven  up  in  the  middle,  and  open  at  one  end ; 
and,  unlike  other  sea-weed,  never  found  connected  together. 

Merrick — Five  large  hills  or  mountains  in  Galloway ;  they  lay 
beside  one  another,  and  gradually  rise,  the  one  a  little  higher 
above  the  other ;  in  the  morning  and  evening  the  shadows  of 
these  hills  on  the  level  moors  below  seem  like  the  fingers  of 
an  awful  hand  ;  hence  the  name  Merrick,  which,  in  the  Gaelic, 
signifies  fingers.  How  expressive  that  language  must  be. 
O  1  that  I  were  master  of  it. 

Merry-meat — The  same  with  kimmering;  the  feast  at  a  birth. 

Mervadie — Any  fine  sweet  brittle  cake  is  said  to  be  mer- 
vadie ;  this  word  and  merlie  are  someway  connected ;  but 
as  I  am  such  a  slim  linguist,  I  cannot  see  the  relationship. 

MiCELED — Did  eat,  somewhat  after  the  way  of  mice. 

MiD-KiPPLE — That  piece  of  hide  which  keeps  the  two  sticks  of 
a  flai!  in  partnership. 

MiDSE-DAV — Middle  of  the  day;  mid-room,  a  little  room  be- 
tween the  kitchen  and  parlor;  mids,  middle.  "There's  a 
gude  mids  in  a*  things ; "  which  means,  extremes  should  be 
avoided. 


MIL MIL  34 » 

Milker — ^A  cow  that  gives  much  milk.  A  cow  with  a  large 
udder  is  not  always  a  good  milker  ;  it  is  said  that  it  is  by  the 
head  that  the  cow  gives  the  milk ;  which  means,  that  if  a  cow 
be  a  great  eater,  she  is  also  a  great  milker. 

MiLLAE — The  loftiest  mountain  in  the  south  of  Scotland,  away 
by  four  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea ;  seldom  doth 
it  doff  its  cowl  of  snow  in  honour  of  the  sun. 

MiLLBANNOcK — A  circular  cake  of  oatmeal,  with  a  hole  in  the 
centre ;  it  is  generally  a  foot  in  diameter,  and  an  inch  in 
thickness ;  it  is  baked  at  mills,  and  haurned  or  toasted  on 
the  burning  seeds  of  shelled  oats,  which  makes  it  as  brittle 
as  if  it  had  been  baked  with  butter;  of  course,  then,  the  //////- 
banfwck  is  allowed  to  be  the  chief  of  all  bannocks.  A  miller  in 
Wigtonshire  once  made  an  enormous  one  of  a  boll  of  meal,  as 
a  present  to  his  laird  the  Earl  of  Galloway,  in  hopes  that  the 
Earl  would  give  him  a  do2un-come  of  the  rent ;  but  instead  of 
doing  so,  he  raised  it  on  him  fifty  pounds  per  annum,  saying, 
"  that  if  he  could  afford  to  make  sic  millbannocks  to  his  friends, 
he  could  be  no  way  distressed."  Poor  Dusty  then  had  no 
other  shift  than  to  return  to  his  old  shop,  with  his  finger  in 
his  mouth,  and  curse  confound  the  plot  o'  the  mill-bannock. 

MiLL-cLOOSE — The  same  with  tnill-tro^vse.  The  boxed  wood- 
work which  conducts  the  water  into  mill  wheels. 

Miller  o'  Minnieive — Somewhere  in  the  south  of  Scotland,  a 
traveller  may  fall  in  with  (by  searching  every  nook)  a  village, 
or  more  properly,  a  clauchan  termed  Minnieive,  Its  latitude 
and  longitude  have  never  yet  been  properly  ascertained ;  a 
thing,  by  the  bye,  much  wanted  now,  as  the  place  is  every 
day  getting  farther  into  vogue.  It  will  soon  eclipse  Ambleside 
on  the  lakes,  as  a  hamlet  of  celebrity ;  for  there  is  the  abode 
of  a  miller,  with  whom,  for  poetry  and  a  thousand  other 
fine  things,  no  laker  can  be  compared.  Respecting  this 
personage,  none  but  poets  can  see  or  have  any  dealings,  but 


342  MIL MIL 

to  them,  he  keeps  not  in  utter  darkness ;  so  I  shall  just  give 
ray  readers  a  peep  of  him  from  behind  the  cloud  :  and  firstly 
then,  his 

COMPARISONS. 

Those  bergs  of  ice  which  do  arise 

In  arctic  worlds  to  such  a  size, 

Surprising  travellers  so  bold, 

Who  wander  through  these  realms  so  cold  ; 

Remind  me,  by  their  strange  narration. 

Of  this  vast  debt  which  damns  our  nation  ; 

Like  it,  they  higher,  wilder  rear 

Their  awful  heads  from  year  to  year. 

Each  winter's  frost  and  fall  of  snow 

I>o  make  them  swell,  and  larger  grow, 

Just  as  the  interest  doth  the  sum. 

And  foolish  broils  with  sword  and  drum. 

Till  now  'tis  got  so  mighty  big. 

It  frights  the  tory  and  the  whig  ; 

Few  find  their  souls  sufficient  bold, 

As  can  the  monster  huge  behold  ; 

None  but  philosophers  must  dare. 

And  poets,  who  are  free  of  care. 

No  taxes  that  reduce  are  felt. 

No  sun  the  dreadful  mount  will  melt ; 

'Twill  tower  away  yet  for  awhile. 

Ascend  yet  farther  two,  three  mile. 

Then  down  'twill  tumble  with  a  dash, 

And  who,  good  God,  will  stand  the  crash  ? 

So  much  then  for  the  Miller;  his  comparisons  are  worth  the 
looking  at.     Mark  another  : — 

Squire  KirtUs  worth  ten  thousand  pounds, 
And  more  than  that  the  squire's  a  lillain^ 

Bob  Kfd  has  neither  cash  nor  grounds. 
And  yet  the  lad  is  worth  a  million. 

How  comes  this,  let's  see  the  plan  ? 

'Tis  very  plain,  you  need  not  doubt  it, 
Bob  Keel  is  just  an  honest  man. 

So  that  is  all  there  is  about  it. 

At  this,  Squire  Kirtle  now  may  itch. 
May  roup  his  farmers,  try  stock -jobbing. 

Do  all  he  can  to  be  as  rich. 
And  yet  he'll  ne'er  come  up  wi'  Robbin. 

Squire  Kirtle  with  his  hounds  and  whores. 

And  all  the  luxuries  of  folly. 
Are  smothered  quite  by  Robbin's  stores, 

And  what  are  they  ? — a  kent  and  collie. 


MIL MIL  343 

Squire  Kirtle  lolls  on  sofas  soft, 

When  he  with  wine  gets  swell'd  and  groggy. 

But  poor  Bob  Keel  reposeth  oft 
By  cauller  springs  on  banks  sae  foggy. 

Which  now,  is  the  better  man  ? 

The  one  is  hemlock — t'other  myrtle, 
We  need  not  guess,  we  see  the  plan. 

Bob  Keel  is  far  before  Squire  Kirtle. 

An  honest  man's  the  king  of  men  ; 

If  heaven  hath  good  and  better  places. 
The  best  place  there  some  yet  may  ken. 

Is  where  the  soul  that's  honest  graces. 

For  the  sake  of  fun  I  may  give  another,  and  the  most 
singular  of  the  three  : — 

Whar  yon  bum  frae  Kirrbride 

Tummies  into  the  sea, 
Twa  hizzies  abide, 

llius  admired  by  me  : 

The  tane  for  her  doumess. 

The  'tither  for  sweetness ; 
The  first  for  her  sourness. 

The  second  for  neatness. 

Thev  are  baith  in  ae  house, 

Tney  are  baith  named  Jeanie^ 
The  tane's  never  crouse, 

And  her  hide's  like  a  guinea  : 

O  lord  !  she  b  yellow. 

And  yawps  like  a  peany, 
But  the  tither  is  mellow, 

O,  she  is  my  JeanU, 

Sweet  heaven,  what  an  eye, 

O,  how  she  loves  kissing, 
In  my  arms  she  will  lie. 

And  receive  my  best  blessing  : 

But  the  ither  may  go. 

The  auld  scraighton  sae  din, 
To  the  regions  below, 

And  display  her  tan'd  skin. 

O,  sweet  is  the  pear, 

O,  sweeter  is  hinnie, 
But  sweeter's  my  dear, 

My  ain  melting  Jeanie  : 

Sour  is  the  crab. 

And  wrinkled's  my  grannie, 
( ),  where  is  the  drab 

A  match  for  this  Jeanie  ? 


344  MIL  MIL 

The  first  is  a  blossom, 
Hcfitting  my  bosom ; 
The  second's  infernal, 
External,  internal. 

A  singular  poet  is  this  Miller  of  Minnieive  in  truth  ;  see 
how  he  paints  himself  to  a  friend  : — 

Vm  but  ane  humble  dusty  miller, 
Xo  unco  fond  of  grubbing  siller. 
Nor  steering  wi'  a  steady  tiller, 

Through  life's  queer  bca  ; 
But  tak  my  dram  wi'  a  care-killer. 

My  Jock  like  thee. 

For  why  should  I  mysell  immure 
Eternally,  mang  powks  and  stowre  ? 
I  like  a  breath  o'  air  that's  pure, 

As  weel  as  ony  ; 
A  buik,  a  bumper,  to  be  sure, 

And  hizzies  bonny. 

My  kilman,  cheerfu'  soul,  and  me, 
To  ithers  hands  do  work  wi'  glee, 
And  weel  I  wat  we've  mony  a  spree, 

In  the  kiilogie ; 
Xae  twasome  thou  didst  ever  see, 

Sae  blythe  and  vogie. 

The  miller's  muse,  tho',  is  unfit 
To  praise  thee,  Johnie,  for  thy  wit. 
But,  like  a  wise  man,  ye'll  submit 

To  glimmer  owre  me  ; 
'ITie  tod  he  kens  a  halesome  bit, 

Sae  won't  devour  me. 

Will.  Shakspur  and  the  ploughman  Robbie, 
Wad  baith  be  beat  too  wi'  the  jobbie, 
Tho'  they  could  dance  in  nature';:  lobbie, 

Wi'  meikle  glee  ; 
Then  how  can  I,  a  dusty  dobbie. 

Do  aught  wi*  thee  ? 

The  warl  at  large  may  join  and  thank  ye, 
And  'mang  the  first  o'  modems  rank  ye, 
Auld  Scotland  in  her  plaid  may  fank  ye, 

Fu'  bein  and  warm  ; 
For  e'en  the  sauls  o'  Killivianky^ 

Ve've  powers  to  charm. 

Behold  yet,  what  a  songster  the  Miller  is  ;  hear  to  his 
Wild  roaring  Sea. 

Where,  think 'st  thou,  Mary,  thy  lover  is, 

Where  now  does  he  doat  on  thee? 
O  I  far  away  from  the  land  of  bliss, 

And  my  darling  far  from  me  ; 


MIL  MIN  345 

Vrn  on  the  black  wide  rolling  deep, 
Where  pleasures  never  be, 

0  Mary,  my  love,  here  do  I  weep, 
On  the  wild  roaring  sea. 

1  weep  for  thee,  Mary,  my  lovely  dear. 

But  the  surges  care  not  for  me. 
The  billows  do  not  my  wailing  hear. 

My  soul  is  in  sorrow  for  thee  ; 
My  poverty  did  force  us  to  part, 

Our  parents  did  not  agree, 
So  I  am  flung  with  a  broken  heart. 

On  the  wild  roaring  sea. 

Come  down,  ye  dark  clouds,  that  lower  above, 

Come  dashing  down  on  me, 
For  since  I  cannot  get  with  my  love. 

From  this  life  I  long  to  be  free  : 
O,  was  I  sure  that  Ijeyond  the  grave. 

My  Mary  I  would  meet  with  thee, 
I  would  plunge  myself  beneath  that  wave, 

In  the  wild  roaring  sea. 

So  poetry  and  poverty. 

Are  ne'er  a  kin  to  ither. 
The  tane  the  sister  is  I  see. 

The  tither  is  the  brither. 

Then  ye  whose  haums  are  cram*d  with  wit. 

So  as  to  keep  the  world  alive, 
May  make  a  friend  if  ye  think  fit. 

Of  the  Miller  o^  Minnieive, 

Mill- LADE — The  drain  or  ieady  as  it  were,  which  conveys  the 
water  from  mill-dams  to  the  mill-ivhcel ;  sometimes  called 
mill-race. 

Mill-shilling — The  shelled  grain,  which  runs  out  of  the  mill- 
^e.  When  we  see  a  person  vomiting,  from  the  effects  of 
drinking  spirits,  we  say  he  was  *•  sendin*  the  drink  frae  him 
like  a  mill-shilling." 

Milts  and  Rowans — The  seed  of  fish,  such  as  herrings  ;  those 
with  milts y  are  said  to  be  the  male  herrings  the  other  with 
ro7vanSy  \ht  female, 

Mim-mou'd — Having  an  affected  way  of  speaking. 

Minnifx;aff— One  of  the  wildest  moorland  parishes  in  Gallo- 
way :  some  of  the  natives  of  it  live  fifteen  miles  from 
church ;  this   was  the  parish  wherein  was  born  and  bred. 


346  MIN  MIN 

our  celebrated  linguist  Murray.     The  following  love  song 
respecting  this  bleak  tract,  somewhat  pleases  me — 

My  Mary  eUat^s  awa^ 

My  ruwt  iov/s  awa\ 
Afui  left  nu  in  this  weary  toarl^ 

Where  I  hcu  naejoy  ava\ — Chorum 

I  saw  her  laid  in  her  cauld  hed, 
And  happed  wi'  a  green  sod, 
My  e'en  filled  fu*,  my  heart  it  bled, 

0  !  I  hope  she's  wi'  her  God. 

At  the  school  we  \%*ar  fu'  pack, 
We  sat  ay  upon  the  ae  oink, 

0  !  I  liked  to  luik  at  her  e'en  sac  black, 
For  lovely  she  could  blink. 

When  she  bade  wi'  her  auntie  Jane, 

'Mang  the  Moors  o'  Minniegaff, 
To  see  my  love  I  hae  aften  gane. 

And  thought  it  nae  way  aff. 

1  hae  waded  the  waters  deep, 

1  hae  clam  the  mountains  hie. 

To  see  my  Mary,  but  now  I  maun  weep, 
'Neath  the  auld  bowrock  tree. 

O  !  Mary  was  a  sweet,  sweet  lass. 

The  joy  o'  a'  my  heart. 
To  me  the  like  o'  her  never  was. 

And  yet  we're  forced  to  part. 

Naething  but  death,  the  bluidy  knave, 

Cud  hae  sinner'd  my  love  and  me, 
O  !  wad  he  lay  me  aside  her  i'e  grave, 

Kind,  kind  to  me  he'd  be. 

How  strongly  too  is  this  parish  hinted  at  in  the  Fareivtel 
d  Mes  BoMls, 

Ha  Minniegaff  thou  Moorland  clout, 
Wi*  thee  I  hae  had  an  unco  bout, 
But  faith,  at  last  thou'st  l)eat  me  out, 

W^ithout  a  chcel ; 
Mayl^e  to  tak  a  better  rout, 

Sae  fare  thee  weel. 

Sax  years,  antl  something  niair  are  ganc. 
Since  I  cam  to  the  stanning-stane. 
And  twa  three  lads  loo,  there  I've  haen, 

At  least  I  thought  sac  ; 
But  now  I'm  left  without  a  'anc, 

My  fortune  •vrought  sae. 


MIN MIN  347 

Tarn  o'  the  Todholes  lo*cd  me  best, 
And  I  thought  mair  o'ln  than  the  rest. 
He  was  ay  better  bred  and  dress' t, 

And  bonnier  far ; 
But  some  confound,  else  I'd  been  blest, 

My  luck  did  mar. 

I  Ic  gaed  to  Ayr,  some  sheep  to  sell, 
(Sae  neebours  roon  the  tale  do  tell), 
And  there  wi'  some  queer  jades  befel, 

Wha  trounce  the  street ; 
They  shab'd  puir  lliomas  aff  to  hell, 

Wi*  nimble  feet. 

Rah  Gumell  too,  wha  had  a  farm, 
Did  tell  me  I  had  mony  a  charm. 
And  that  his  heart  grew  unco  warm. 

Whan  he  was  wi'  me  ; 
Guess  what  a  laughable  alarm. 

The  cheel  did  gie  me. 

I  lived  wi'  my  maiden  auntie, 
Wha  was  fu'  puist  and  unco  canty, 
Kab  wad  come  in,  and  seem  to  want  me, 

But  mark  the  hash  ; 
*Twas  my  auld  friend  he  did  gallant  ay, 

Or  else  her  cash. 

He'd  speak  to  her  and  then  to  me, 
Play  wink  at  her  his  scoundrel  e'e, 
He  did  na  think  that  I  wad  see, 

His  tricks  sae  mean  ; 
Tho'  them  I  saw  fu'  bonnily, 

Wi'  my  twa  e'en. 

And  Patie  Plumrock  whiles  cam  owre, 
IMie  black  moss  hags  at  me  to  glowre, 
Ay  on't  the  Hogyet  he  wad  cour. 

And  seem  fu'  blate  ; 
But  weel  kend  I  what  kin'  o'  wo'er, 

I  had  o'  Pate. 

He  was  ane  o'  the  hoolet  class, 
Wha  nightly  flee  frae  lass  to  lass, 
A  bleer-e'ed,  hirpling,  silly  ass. 

An'  oozly  tyke  ; 
I'm  sure  nae  woman  ever  was, 

This  gomf  cud  like. 

Sic  and  sic  like,  my  lads  hae  been, 
A  waufer  squad  sure  few  hae  seen, 
1  wad  been  mad  had  I  been  keen, 

O'  ony  ane  o'm  ; 
My  fortune  I  may  thank  I  ween. 

For  getting  nane  o'm. 


34«  MIN  MOC 

They'd  hing  about  the  auld  kirk-stile. 
On  Sundays  wi*  a  sneering  smile. 
Whan  I'd  be  coming  ower  the  while, 

Wi  my  white  frock  on  ; 
'Bout  me  they  stories  wad  compile. 

And  jibe  and  joke  on. 

C)  !  there  stood  ga]>ing  mony  a  loon, 
Krae  clinty  moore  wi'  muggart  croon. 
Boss  a'  gates  but  whar  the  hom-spoou. 

It's  lades  did  coup  ; 
Lifted  at  morn,  mid-day,  and  noon, 

Frae  Goan  and  stoup. 

I  bid  them  farewell,  ane  and  a'. 
They  ne'er  again  shall  see  me  braw, 
Out  owre  the  seas  I'm  for  awa. 

Ere  this  day  week  ; 
To  Boston,  in  America, 

A  man  to  seek. 

I'm  on  the  right  side  thratty  yet. 
Has  twa  red  cheeks  and  gyly  neat, 
Can  put  on  gowns  that  are  fu*  feat; 

Sae  Minniegaff, 
Farewel  for  ay,  I  shan't  be  beat. 

Adieu,  I'm  aff. 

MiNSHOCH — A  female  goat  two  years  old.  Barnieivater  said, 
he  shot  a  witch  once,  wi'  a  crooked  sixpence  ;  she  was  in  the 
form  o*  a  hare,  but  whan  he  drew  tnaur  her,  she  was  as  big 
as  a  mins/ioch, 

MisERTisH  —  Having  the  manners  of  a  miser;  being 
avaricious. 

MissLiE — We  say  such  a  one  is  misslie,  when  his  presence  is 
missed  anywhere,  and  thought  to  be  awanting. 

MiTELEi) — Eaten  away,  as  if  with  tnitcs.  When  si/ler  is  chynged, 
it  is  said  to  be  soon  mote  or  mitle  away. 

Mither's-pet — The  youngest  child  of  a  family  ;  tlie  mother  s 
greatest  favourite  ;  the  Tony  Lumpkin  of  the  house. 

MocHY — We  say  of  the  weather,  when  it  is  warm  and  moist, 
that  it  is  mochy  weather  ;  and  of  everv'thing  else  in  a  similar 
wav.  that  it  is  mochw 


MOE  MOO  349 

MoEMS — Scraps  of  any  thing,  such  as  moems  o'  curiosity. 
Perhaps  the  English  word  moiety  and  it  are  one. 

Than  moems,  o*  poems, 

I  will  sing  unto  thee, 
Sac  laughing,  and  kauching. 

Thou  fain  would  follow  me. — 

Auld  Sang. 

MoiDERT — One  whose  intellects  are  rendered  useless,  by  being 
in  the  habit  of  taking  spirituous  liquors  to  excess,  is  said  to 
be  moidert. 

MoLLAN — A  long  straight  pole,  such  as  fishermen  use  at  their 
Jish-yards. 

MooLiE-HEELS — A  kind  of  chilblain,  troublesome  to  the  heels 
in  frosty  weather. 

MooLiE  Pudding — The  game  oi  deadelie ;  one  has  to  run  with 
the  hands  locked,  and  taen  the  others. 

MooNOG — A  name  for  the  cranberry  or  crawberry. 

MooRLANDERS — The  natives  of  the  moor.  The  manners  of 
these  people  differ  decidedly  from  those  of  the  vale ;  there  is 
more  of  nature  in  her  primitive  state  about  them,  even  the 
very  priests  become  tinged ;  behold  the  portrait  of  one  drawn 
the  other  day — 

THE  MOOR  MINISTER. 

Weel  do  I  like  to  see  that  worthy  man, 
He  has  nae  art,  he's  le<l  by  nature's  plan, 
Nae  pride  o'  lair,  but  modest,  calm,  and  free, 
Nae  fluent  gab,  and  yet  he  pleases  me  ; 
His  neives  ne'er  lifted  like  a  sledging  mill, 
As  if  'twad  dash  his  harmless  flock  to  hell, 
Nae  gown  has  he  upon  his  body  laid, 
But  his  braid  showthers  fanked  in  a  plaid  ; 
While  on  his  feet  he  has  a  pair  o'  clogs 
For  plunging  mang  the  saft  and  spouty  bogs, 
Nor  does  he  wi'  them  gie  a  clamping  clink, 
Whan  he  wad  wish  his  curious  flock  to  think, 
But  lets  them  see  the  lovely  road  fu'  even, 
Owre  the  blue  mountains  to  the  Father's  heaven. 
He  disna  rant  and  seek  for  meikle  words, 
Whatere  he  wants  the  bible  soon  affords, 
For  sterling  facts  he  never  seeks  for  proof, 
liut  skelps  the  truth  directly  afl'his  loof ; 


350  MOR MOS 

He  never  writes,  xmd  makes  a  fuss  and  caper. 
Out  owre  a  lengthened  sermon -scrabbled  paper, 
Fu'  weel  he  tells  his  modest  tale  without  it, 
A  downright  text,  and  little  mair  about  it ; 
Lugs  out  his  mull,  and  aft  his  neb  will  prime. 
Lets  out  his  fowk  or  it  be  dinner  time. 
While  his  queer  hearers  ane  and  a*  agree, 
A  noble  han*  for  backing  out  is  he. 
At  chnstnings  he  taks  a  cheerfu'  glass. 
And  on  the  ice  his  like  sure  never  was. 
He's  fii'  o'  glee,  has  a'  around  him  sae. 
They  pingle  meikle  on  his  side  to  play  ; 
And  sift  a  party  he'll  hae  at  the  manse, 
Some  farmer's  sin  can  fiddle,  sae  they  dance. 
While  aft  is  seen  upon  the  braw  deal  floor, 
My  worthy  cheel — The  Minister  €e  Moor. 

Morgoz'd — Made  a  confusion  of;  any  thing  put  into  disorder, 
so  that  it  cannot  be  righted,  is  said  to  be  morgos^d. 

Morn-i'e-morning — The  mom  after  h'ght  dawns  forth.  Morn- 
ing begins  when  twelve  o'clock  at  night  is  run ;  but  the 
mom-fe-moming,  in  the  dead  of  winter,  begins  not  until  near 
eight  o'clock.  It  is  a  singularly  expressive  phrase,  the  mam 
on  the  morn,  and  far  from  being  the  same  with  the 
morrow-morning;  that  is  the  morning  of  another  day 
spoken  of,  whereas  this  relates  to  one  and  the  same 
morning. 

MoRROCH — To  soil  any  thing.  When  any  thing  is  trampled  in 
a  gutter,  we  say  it  is  morrocHd ;  probably  this  and  gorroch  is 
one  and  the  same  word  as  to  derivation,  but  different  as  to 
meaning. 

MoRTH  o*  Cauld — Those  who  receive  a  severe  cold,  get 
what  is  termed  their  morth  d  cauld  \  which  means, 
their  death  from  cold,  (from  Latin  mors,  death ;  or  mort, 
deadly). 

MosHiN-HOLE — The  touch  hole  of  a  piece  of  ordnance  ;  ^^ pike 
the  moshin-holej^  say  we,  to  those  who  are  for  firing  a  gun, 
when,  on  being  snafd,  it  hurtis  priming;  which  means, 
to  clean  out  the  touch-hole. 


MOS MUC  351 

Moss-boils — Large  moorland  fountains,  the  sources  of 
rivers. 

Moss-HAGGS — Any  break  in  black-looking,  wild,  mossy  moors, 
is  called  a  hagg, 

MowDiE-HiLLANS — Mole-hills ;  in  the  large  ones,  the 
animals  have  their  nests,  there  they  breed  the  young  maiv- 
diewarts. 

MowDiEMEN  —  Mole  catchers,  from  mowdic^  a.  mole. 
These  men  are  generally  all  from  Westmoreland,  and  com- 
monly very  singular  characters.  My  friend  yohn  Rook 
is  the  most  celebrated  in  this  way.  John  is  truly  a  won- 
derful, shrewd,  good-natured  fellow;  his  observations 
are  all  original,  and  his  tales,  jokes,  &c.,  with  the  manner 
in  which  he  tells  them,  have  made  me  laugh  a  thousand 
times. 

MovLiE — A  mild,  good-natured  person :  an  auld  moylie^ 
a  tame  person,  even  to  sillyness ;  a  moylic,  is  also  a  bullock 
wanting  horns. 

MoziE — A  moidert'iooking  person ;  a  being  with  silly  in- 
tellects. 

MucKLE-CHAiR  —  The  large  arm-chair^  common  in  all 
houses,  whose  inmates  revere  the  memory  of  their  fore- 
fathers ;  for  farther  knowledge  respecting  this  rustic  throne, 
peep  at  the  following  poem  : — 

Sae  there  ye  sit,  my  worthy,  snug, 
In  nuik  aside  the  chimla-lug, 

Whar  there  is  nae  frost  air  ; 
'Bout  sofas  let  the  gentles  craik, 
Of  velvet  cushions  raise  a  fraik, 
lliey  canna  match  the  black  moss-aik, 

My  muckle  auld  arm-chair. 

Nae  worm  nor  clock  will  break  thy  skin, 
To  haud  a  ticking  din  within, 

And  crump  and  hole  thee  sair  ; 
Thy  aimy  joints  what  time  can  fade. 
The  wricht  kend  surely  wecl  his  trade. 
Whan  thee  sae  strongly  a*  he  made, 

My  darling  auld  arm-chair. 


352  MUC  MUC 

Faith,  ablins  true  is  that  remark, 
That  thou  wert  ance  in  Noah's  Ark, 

Some  plank  or  timmer  there  ; 
For  every  sage  is  at  a  loss, 
To  tell  whan  plonks  lay  down  in  moss, 
I  wat  this  is  a  question  cross, 

My  gruesome  auld  arm-chair. 

But  fancy  we'll  nae  mair  bout  that, 
In  thee  my  douce  fore-fathers  sat. 

Three  hundred  years  and  mair  ; 
They  sat  in  thee  wi'  honest  pride, 
The  hazel  clicky  by  their  side, 
And  ruled  around  them  far  and  wide, 

Their  throne,  the  auld  arm-chair. 

There  ploughmen's  tales  about  their  socks. 
And  what  the  herds  kend  o'  the  flocks. 

War  laid  afore  them  fair  ; 
There  byre  women  too,  wad  ask, 
What  wark  outby  composed  their  task. 
While  round  the  ingle  tykes  wad  bask. 

And  neath  the  auld  arm-chair. 

And  through  the  wunter  lang  forenights. 
Mine  Gutchers  auld  douce  farming  wights, 

O'  clatters  wama'  spare  ; 
They'd  crack  'bout  things  o'  ither  years, 
Or  take  a  turn  at  wads  and  wears, 
Whilk  ay  the  heart  sae  blithly  cheers, 

My  noble  auld  arm-chair. 

And  aften  too,  wi'  serious  luik, 
They  sat  in  thee  and  tuik  the  buik. 

Then  read  and  gaed  a  prayer  ; 
While  a'  around*  wi  a'e  accord, 
W'ad  listen  to  the  sacred  word, 
They  too  wi'  psalms  wad  praise  the  Lord, 

P>ae  thee,  thou  auld  arm-chair. 

Whan  gurly  norlan'  blasts  wad  blaw. 
And  swurl  in  sneep  white  wrides  the  snaw, 

W^hile  lochs  wi*  frost  wad  rair  ; 
And  burdies  frae  the  wuds  grew  tame. 
And  curlers  trimmled  at  their  game, 
I  wat  they'd  fin'  themsells  ahame, 

W^han  in  the  auld  arm-chair. 

O  !  how  my  ancient  seat  I  luve  ye, 
Nae  plenishin  in  a'  our  Cruevie, 

Can  wi'  thee  ava'  compare  ; 
The  glorious  days  o*  Auld  I^ng  Syne, 
Ye  lay  afore  the  fancy  fine. 
While  some  ane  o'  the  tunefu'  nine. 

Ay  haunts  the  auld  arm-chair. 


MUG  MUR  353 

Whan  I  grow  auld  wi'  blinkers  hazy, 
Wi'  banes  a  shiegling  and  crazy. 

To  thee  I  will  wi*  joy  repair  ; 
Forsake  my  craigs  aside  the  shore, 
Whar  whiles  I  sit  whan  surges  roar, 
And  nature's  howfs  whilk  I  adore. 

For  thee  my  auld  arm-chair. 

There  will  I  wear  out  life's  frail  trum, 
Just  clotching  canny  on  my  bum, 

We'll  be  a  curious  pair  ; 
My  sma  cauld  spaws  the  gleed  will  beek. 
And  should  my  e'en  whiles  rin  wi'  reek, 
Thou 'It  gie  me  a'  the  ease  I'll  seek. 

My  gracious  auld  arm-chair. 

And  should  fate,  like  a  shark,  gae  chace, 
Frae  here  the  hale  Mactaggart  race, 

(Thou  famous  relique  rare) ; 
I  hope  the  warl  will  thee  regard. 
And  never  reel  ye  unco  hard. 
But  let  some  honest  rustic  bard. 

Enjoy  the  auld  arm-chair. 

Tho*  ne'er  will  your  brade  bodden  bear, 
A  man  sae  excellent,  sae  dear. 

And  fu'  o*  nature's  lair ; 
As  he  wha  now  possesses  thee, 
And  lang  may  he  possessor  l)e, 
I  mean  my  father,  kind  and  free, 

Now  in  the  auld  arm-chair. 

MuGG — ^To  Strike  or  buck  a  ball  out  from  a  wall,  as  is  done  in 
the  game  of  the  wa'haw, 

MuGG-SHEEP — Sheep  all  white  coloured ;  lowland  sheep. 

MuGGART — The  mugivort ;  out  of  these  boys  make  blowchtons, 

MuLDERT — Mouldered,  rotted,  &c. 

MuMPLE — To  seem  as  if  going  to  vomit. 

MuNN — An  old  person  with  a  very  little  face ;  see  Cuttymun, 
and  since  writing  that  article,  Cuttymuns  and  three  Laddies 
have  come  into  my  head ;  so  this  phrase  may  seem  to  say, 
that  Cuttymun  is  a  short-shanked  spoon. 

MuNNONDAV — The  ancient  way  of  naming  Monday. 

MuREBURN — The  way  they  have  in  the  moorlands  of  burning 

down   the   old   heather,   so   that  grass   may  arise  to  feed 

cattle  and  sheep.     The  heather  is  never  allowed  by  good 

farmers  to  grow  more  than  four  or  fv^'t  years.     The  work 

z 


354  MUR MUR 

of  mureburn  goes  on  in  the  dry  weather  of  spring,  and 
blazes  away  with  a  rapid  wildness,  frightening  hares  and 
grouse  from  its  neighbourhood.  When  viewed  from  the 
I/Owlands  on  a  fine  night,  it  makes  one  fancy  of  the  de- 
vastations of  war,  spreading  so  quickly  when  lighted,  and 
encircling  the  wild  mountains  in  red  flaming  curves.  It 
must  also  somewhat  resemble  that  scene  seen  by  some 
travellers  in  foreign  countries,  of  forests  set  in  flames  by  the 
natives  to  destroy  serpents,  and  scare  away  wild  beasts. 
When  any  thing  like  bad  news  spreads  fast,  we  say,  "  it  goes 
like  mureburn,^'* 

Mure-ill — A  disorder  common  among  cattle,  and  thought  to 
proceed  from  the  animals  eating  poisonous  herbs ;  it  is 
somewhat  cured  with  doses  of  salts  and  saltpetre.  Nowt 
taen  to  a  ntiv  gang^  or  noicfi^  after  a  spate,  are  apt  to  take  the 
mure-ill  or  red-water;  it  also  prevails  much  with  cattle  which 
graze  on  a  moor  pasture ;  hence  the  name  mure-ill,  or  the  ill 
of  the  moor, 

Murray,  the  Historian — Mr.  Murray,  a  gentleman  who  lately 
published  the  Literary  History  of  Galloway,  a  work  he  has 
certainly  done  much  justice  to ;  and  I  only  think  it  a  pity, 
that  he  paid  so  much  attention  to  a  subject,  not  surely  worth 
the  paying  attention  to.  For  instance,  what  was  the  use  of 
rummaging  ancient  libraries,  to  know  whether  a  -certain 
priest  once  lived  in  a  certain  parish,  and  a  priest  who,  when 
all  is  known  of  him  that  can  be  or  could  be,  is  worth  nothing, 
he  turns  out  to  be  a  mere  common  priest  ?  Mr.  M.  is  also 
too  in  an  error,  when  he  thinks  that  there  are,  or  have 
been,  no  literary  characters  in  Galloway  but  priests ;  how- 
ever, the  industry  of  this  author  I  laud,  and  long  to  see 
directed  to  something  of  more  consequence ;  perhaps  I  may 
take  this  home  to  myself. 

Murray,  the  Linguist — Dr.  Murray,  the  celebrated  lingu- 
ist,   and    author,    born    in    MinniegafT,    died     in     Edin- 


MUR MUS  355 

burgh,  &c,  &c.  I  have  only  one  remark  to  make  on  him, 
and  I  have  done.  Why  has  he  not  given  the  world  some- 
thing respecting  his  native  language,  his  mother  tongue? 
did  he  look  down  on,  and  despise  it  ?  this  I  cannot  think, 
for  he  was  a  lover  of  his  country :  yet  I  cannot  help  thinking 
that  the  Gallovidians  are  as  good  a  tribe  of  human  beings 
as  any  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Gondar,  and  as  much 
worthy  attention.  It  will  be  some  time,  in  my  opinion, 
ere  a  native  of  Scnaar  returns  the  compliment  to  the 
Doctor's  country  which  he  has  done  to  his.  Had  he 
clubbed  his  skill  in  the  Scotch  language  to  that  of  Dr. 
Jamieson,  how  much  would  Scotland  have  praised  his  name  I 
What  he  has  done,  however,  is  well  enough,  and  had 
.  his  life  been  spared,  we  might  have  expected  more.  He 
has  travelled  with  Bruce  to  the  source  of  Ntius,  as 
arduous  a  task  as  his  name-sake  Bruce  had  in  establishing 
the  independence  of  Scotland.  Murray  has  shown  him- 
self to  be  a  creature  of  strong  intellect,  and  unabating  per- 
severance; view  him  in  any  light  we  will,  we  discover  a 
wonderful  prodigy. 

MuRRLiN — A  very  froward  child,  ever  whining  and  ill-natured. 

Mush — A  vast  of  matters  tossed  together,  such  as  straw,  grain, 
hay,  chaff,  &c. 

MusHOCH — A  heap  of  grain,  thrashed  out  and  laid  aside  in  a 
comer  for  seed ;  this  grain  is  confined  into  as  small  a  bulk 
as  possible,  by  surrounding  it  with  mushoch-rapesy  thick  ropes 
twisted  on  purpose. 

MussLE-BROSE — A  brosc  made  from  mussles.  These  shell-fish 
are  boiled  in  their  own  sapy  and  this  juice,  when  warm,  is 
mingled  with  oatmeal ;  so  a  strong  brose  indeed  is  made, 
perhaps  the  strongest  that  can  be ;  for  it  is 

A  dish  by  Jove  might  feast  a  king, 

And  paint  his  cheeks  the  rose, 
Muke  dulbcrts  laugh,  and  poets  sing, 

The  sjxirkrmg  Mussle  brose. 


356  MUL  NAM 

MuLTER  or  MuiTER — The  miller's  fee  for  his  meldin; 
if  the  melder  be  six  bolls,  the  mutter  is  about  the  fortieth 
part 

MuTTYOCH*D  or  Mottyoch'd — Matted ;  when  sheaves  of  com 
grow  together,  after  being  cut  in  moist  weather,  we  say  they 
are  muttyoch'dy  or  matted  together. 

N. 

Nab — A  blow  on  the  head. 

Nabble — A  narrow-minded,  greedy,  laborious  person. 

Nackie — A  person  expert  at  any  art  is  said  to  be  nacky. 

Nackuz — One  who  tells  a  tale  pretty  sharply;  sometimes 
naxie  is  the  word. 

Naelstrinc; — The  umbilical  cord. 

Naggs — I^rge  pegs  for  hanging  things  out  of  the  way  on. 

Nail'd — Knocked  over.  Thus  we  say  when  we  see  a  hare 
shot,  that  she's  naiPd ;  also  a  villain  caught  at  his  tricks,  is 
naifd ;  and  a  girl  when  she  gets  pregnant  of  a  spurious 
child,  is  said  to  be  naifd:  the  term  is  applied  various  ways, 
and  may  literally  meanyJlxr^as  with  a  nail. 

Names  o'  Gruns — Names  of  farms.  Our  names  for  farms, 
like  our  names  for  various  other  things,  are  some- 
what strange ;  a  few  of  the  derivations  of  them  may  be 
traced  by  good  Celtic  scholars  to  that  ancient  language, 
others  to  tongues  of  a  like  nature.  Thus  all  those  begin- 
ning with  Auchcfiy  Druniy  Nock,  &c.  we  may  easily  ex- 
pound ;  but  it  would  require  a  dab,  methinks,  in  the 
Gaelic,  to  know  the  true  meaning  of  Orhars^  Mollock, 
Killimifigiey  Nabeny,  and  so  on.  AirdSy  we  know, 
stands  for  rocks ;  Torrs,  for  wel  rocky  land ;  Senivicks^  for 
sandwicks,  or  sandy  bays;  Granges,  for  gamels  or  bams, 
&c.     In  ever)'  parish  there  are  generally   two   farms,    the 


NAM    NAM  357 

one  named  Boreland^  the  other  Ingleston ;  how  these  are 
so  named,  antiquarians  differ ;  but  as  to  those  which  have 
burn,  gieny  ckuch^  or  any  such  natural  objects  in  their 
names,  we  see  through  them  at  once.  Moorland  farms, 
too,  differ  much  from  those  of  the  dale,  with  respect  to 
the  character  of  their  names  ;  they  seem  to  be  of  a  wilder 
and  outlandish  nature.  In  Wigtonshire  a  cluster  of  moor- 
farms  lie  together,  unable  amongst  them  all  to  grow  a  boll  of 
com.  I  never  hear  their  names  mentioned  but  they  make 
me  laugh — Pultidee^  Dirniemmv^  Gienkitten,  Gienwhuiiy, 
MuirdoiVj  Craigbimoch^  the  Quarter  and  the  Close,  There 
are  many  in  the  stewartry  of  Kirkcudbright,  too,  which 
amuse  the  ear,  such  as  Clauchendollyy  Culikeggeriey  Barr- 
cheskie,  &c.  People  fond  of  flinging  everything  into  rhyme, 
often  fling  the  names  of  a  number  of  farms  so  for  fun,  but 
none  of  these  I  have  heard  comes  up  with  the  Ayrshire  one 
on  this  subject : — 

**  Doughtic,  Auchengairn,  Dawine,  and  Dahaim, 
**  Classgalloch,  the  Balloch,  the  Challoch, 
**  The  Chang,  and  the  Cairn." 

These  farms  are  all  lying  round  the  celebrated  Steps  d 
StyncheTy  on  the  way  from  Maybole  to  Newtonstewart,  by  the 
famous  Nick  d  the  Balloch  way  from  Ayrshire  to  Galloway- 
(not  by  the  way  of  the  famed  Laird  d  the  Knoivs.)  The 
Chang  is  the  Gaelic,  I  believe,  for  a  tongue,  and  the  Nick  d 
the  Ballochy  means  a  nick^  a  hollow  pass  through  moors,  from 
which  a  great  balloch  or  moor  view  is  to  be  had ;  indeed,  a 
great  part  of  both  Ayrshire  and  Galloway  is  seen  from  this 
place.  It  is  not  long  since  some  families  lived  in  Galloway, 
who  spoke  Gaelic ;  so  it  will  be  found,  the  greater  part  of  the 
names  of  farms,  waters^  parishes^  &c.  come  from  that 
language  ;  thus,  Cree  is  a  march,  a  boundary,  &c. ;  Kcfiy  the 
chief;  Kenmore,  the  chief  head.  But  why  treat  of  this 
farther  ? 


3S8  NAN  NAP 

Nanse — The  name  for  Agnes,  or  Nannie^  or  Nancy  ;  a  lovely 
lass  of  this  name  gave  cause  for  the  following  song  : — 

NANCY  GREENWOOD. 

Farewell,  say  I,  to  learning 

To  dungeon  studies,  dark  and  deep. 
My  heart  is  set  a-yeaming, 

Tm  out  of  trim,  I  cannot  sleep  ; 
And  all  for  Nancy  Greenwood, 

Charming  cheeked  rosy  queen, 
I  ne'er  thought  to've  been  this  way, 

A  fool  with  love  so  madly  keen. 

My  mathematic  brain  now  • 

Is  whirling  all  as  wild's  the  wind, 
Algebra  gives  me  pain  now. 

And  nought  with  Fluxions  I  can  find  ; 
But  lovely  Nancy  Greenwood, 

Standing  fair  within  my  sight, 
Sweet  soul,  she's  all  I  now  see, 
.  And  all  I  care  for  in  the  light. 

With  rapture  oft  I've  gazed 

Upon  the  sun,  the  moon,  and  stars. 
But  now  my  eyes  are  glazed, 

My  passions  all  run  to  the  wars  ; 
'Bout  smiling  Nancy  Greenwood, 

Eclipsing  deary,  fair  and  free. 
Shut  up  thy  treasures,  nature, 

I  want  no  other  gem  from  thee. 

And  let  me  climb  that  hill  there. 

Or  rove  along  the  roaring  shore. 
My  heart  finds  Nancy  still  there. 

And  will,  I  fear,  for  evermore  ; 
'Tis  full  of  Nancy  Greenwood, 

The  pain  is  heaven  to  endure  ; 
DisoRlers  are  delightful. 

When  love  is  both  the  cause  and  cure. 

So  sweet  she  comes  before  me. 

Shining  like  the  solar  beam, 
That  phantom  would  restore  me. 

But  ah  !  that  phantom  is  a  dream  ; 
My  darling  Nancy  Greenwood, 

Cares  nothing  for  the  rural  boy. 
As  Nancy  is  a  lady. 

So  I  must  love,  but  ne'er  enjoy. 

Nappleroot — The  black  knotty  root  of  an  herb,  diligently 
digged  for  and  greedily  chewed  by  boys ;  its  taste  being 
rather  pleasant. 


NAP  NAT  359 

Napps — Small  vessels  made  of  wood,  for  holding  milk ;  little 
tubs  termed  boynes,  in  some  places  of  Scotland,  and  coags  in 
other. 

Napsie — A  fat  little  animal,  such  as  a  sheep. 

Nathan  Mackie — A  very  celebrated  original  Gallovidian 
priest  and  poet ;  his  song  of  **  ycamie^  the  glory  and  pride  d 
Dee^^  is  very  natural,  and  sweetly  sung;  he  was  a  most 
eccentric  character,  went  about  home  very  roughly  clad ;  his 
hair,  which  was  black,  stood  right  on  end ;  and  in  an  old 
song  wrote  on  him,  a  verse  hints  at  this  : — 

He  gat  na't  frae  his  minnie,  O  ! 

Nor  yet  frae  his  daddie, 
Some  craddle  fright,  or  some  auld  wight, 

Did  swarf  the  young  MackU  laddie. 

He  was  a  great  fisher,  and  extremely  charitable.  In  the 
water  of  Dee  he  would  wade  for  days  together,  and  fish 
for  geds ;  few  beggars  ever  came  the  way  of  his  manse, 
but  he  gave  them  quarters.  An  old  carle  called  on  hinv 
one  evening,  and  seeing  the  reverend  gentleman  in  the 
nuikj  and  not  very  divinely  clad,  the  beggar  fancied  that 
this  was  a  personage  like  himself,  who  had  been  more 
fortunate  in  getting  the  snug  birth  before  him;  so  he 
turned  on  his  heel,  and  walked  away,  saying  ^^hech  hoTi}^ 
my  room's  taen  up  !  '*  when  the  priest  spoke  out,  and  bade 
him  "come  away  and  reestle  himself  at  the  ingle-cheek;^^ 
which  the  card  gladly  obeyed.  The  anecdotes  of  Nathan 
are  many,  some  of  which  will  appear  in  the  course  of 
this  work.  A  few  specimens  of  his  poetry  I  may  give, 
thought  to  be  his  : — 

O  !  1  shall  follow  no  man's  way, 

Nor  shall  I  imitate  a  manner. 
The  be^t  may  often  go  astray, 

Tho*  marching  under  virtue's  banner. 

Would  some  kind  spirit  let  me  know 

This  curious  mystic,  I'd  like  well. 
Which  arc  the  creatures  here  below 

Will  go  to  Heaven  and  which  to  Hell  ? 


36o  NAT  NAT 

Then  I'd  be  sensible  which  best 

'Twould  be  for  me  to  follow  close. 
To  shun  the  damned,  and  love  the  blest, 

Tho'  they  were  hedged  by  many  foes. 

But  none  will  this  me  e'er  inform, 

Yet  Christ  has  pointed  out  the  way, 
Which  I  shall  walk,  and  fear  no  storm. 

With  hopes  to  hail  the  eternal  day. 

BACK  AND  BELLY. 

Confound  ye  for  a  cursed  twa. 
For  you  we  grub  and  toil  awa. 

And  yet  your  evei  yuming  ; 
I  ^^-unner  what  wad  really  please, 
And  set  ye  truly  at  your  ease, 

Your  yanmiering  and  mourning. 

Until  ye're  shot  aneath  the  mools. 

Ye  winna  be  at  rest  ; 
For  here  while  living,  just  like  fools 
Ye're  an  unceasing  pest. 

Nae  claise  there  to  lease  there, 

Ye'll  fin  Sir  Jolly  Back, 
Nor  Squire  Belly,  nought  to  fill  ye, 
There  ye'll  sleep  fu'  pack, 

O  !  had  our  bonny  mither  Eve 

Ne'er  dune  that  crime  to  make  us  grieve, 

Nae  claise  we  now  had  needed  ; 
And  we'd  hae  had  the  best  o'  meat, 
Whane'er  we'd  been  inclined  to  eat. 

How  happy  we'd  hae  feeded. 

But  sae  it  is,  we  maun  hae  duds. 

Or  else  we  canna  do  ;    ^ 
Toil  we  maun  to  co'er  our  fuds. 
And  toil  to  meat  us  too. 

Ay  rive  on  and  strive  on. 

And  peck  away  and  yisk , 
Till  bitches  o'  stitches. 
Will  catch  us  by  the  lisk. 

Yirth's  fu'  o'  wae,  and  mony  a  cheel  will  tell  yc, 
It  maistly  a'  proceeds  frae  Back  and  Belly. 

Nathan  was  really  not  a  bad  song  composer ;  witness  what 
follows  : — 

O  !  I  wish  1  had  a  l)onny  wee  wife, 

To  lie  wi'  me  ate'en,  O  ! 
Altho'  she  whiles  might  vex  me  sair, 

And  keep  my  sorrows  green  O  I 


NAT  NAT  361 

For,  curse  me,  I'm  wearied  lying  my  lane, 

I  turn,  I  tumble,  and  gaunt,  O  ! 
I  sweat  and  fret,  and  burning  feels 

A  gnawing,  vexatious  want,  O! 


Had  I  but  Kate  frae  the  Claverhown, 
Or  Jeanie  frae  out  Glen-nap,  O  ! 

Or  Mary  frae  aff  Bamgaber  hill. 

How  I'd  kiss,  and  cuddle,  and  clap,  O  ! 


But,  damn  me,  I  hae  nae  scun  ava, 

And's  ay  for  counting  my  purse,  O  ! 
The  women  I  do  lo'e  devilish  weel, 

I'se  hae  ane,  tho'  she  plays  the  curse,  O  ! 

Naturalls — Human  beings  who  want  a  part  of  the  mind  that 
seemingly  they  ought  to  have  ;  who  move  about,  as  it  were, 
purely  by  the  dictates  of  nature ;  such  creatures  are  common 
in  all  countries,  and  attract  the  attention  of  men  by  their 
wild  and  out-of-the-way  eccentricities.  In  Galloway  there 
are  and  have  been  not  a  few  of  them ;  and  I  have  often 
pleased  myself  in  admiring  their  ways.  Davie  Eddie  is  one 
of  the  chiefs  of  this  band  ;  he  hotters  about  the  clawhans^  and 
a  troop  of  boys  in  his  train,  dancing  to  wandering  fiddlers,  and 
street  bagpipe  players.  Wull  Gourly  runs  about  the  country, 
plays  tunes  on  his  nose,  by  making  sound  come  through  it, 
and  touching  the  sides  with  his  finger,  so  produces  sruelin 
notes.  He  is  also  fond  of  eating  sclaters  ;  he  puts  the  insects 
on  his  tongue,  and,  like  the  Ant-bear,  lets  them  travel  down 
his^'red  gullet.  Sawny  Clarnoch^  the  doiPd  Netu  Gallmvay 
herd  ;  there  is  something  poetical  in  this  naturall ;  he  wanders 
by  lonely  shores,  wild  woods,  and  the  tops  of  mountains, 
standing  frequently  and  pondering  ;  he  is  extremely  modest, 
and  would  die,  I  dare  say,  before  he  would  beg  a  bit ;  he 
runs  barefoot,  and  attends  country  kirks  on  Sundays. 
yamie  Neilson  is  a  droll  soul,  and  everything  with  him 
is  either  the  plan  or  not  the  plan.  Thus  peelocks  and 
buttermilks  the  plan ;  porridge  in  a  bam  is  not  the  plan. 


362  NAT  NAT 

Girzey  JV/tay,  a  strange  female,  thus  drawn  by  the  poetic 
howlate : — 

In  auld  Kirkcubrie's  borough  town, 

A  boon  her  pillars  o'  renown,  * 

In  ane  bit  garret  hole  sae  high, 

\Vi'  lozzen  keeking  at  the  sky, 

Alane,  half  crackit,  day  by  day, 

Wons  shunner  gatherer,  Girzey  Whay. 

'Tis  said  she  was  o'  extract  good, 

And  that  her  veins  had  gentle  blood, 

But  that  some  tyke  betrayed  the  hizzie, 

Which  left  her  mind,  ay  after,  dizzie. 

Puir  Girzey,  wi'  her  upset  chin, 

A  nedeum  gnaws  her  ay  within  ; 

For  ay  she's  gleboring  to  hersell, 

And  cursing  some  to  gang  to  hell. 

Whane'er  rejoicing  bells  do  sound. 

And  flags  are  flapping  a'  around. 

The  patriot,  then,  dis  Girzey  play, 

Frae  her  wee  lozzen  waves  awa 

Ane  pocket  napkin  on  a  stafl*. 

Which  makes  the  burgess  bodies  laugh. — &c.  &c. 

Many  act  the  naturall  who  are  not  so ;  they  play  the  character 
for  the  sake  of  deception,  yohnie  Gim  of  Auchencairriy  was 
famous  at  this  ;  in  his  young  days,  he  was  one  of  the  greatest 
smugglers  on  the  shores  of  the  Solway,  and  outwitted  the  most 
sagacious  khigsvicn.  Once  while  driving  from  the  Isle  of 
Man,  with  his  little  wherry  pretty  full  of  contraband  goods,  he 
was  seen  by  a  revenue  cutter,  who  gave  him  chase.  AVTien 
Johnie  saw  this,  he  hove  his  barrels  overside,  fixed  to  a 
thick  rope,  and  sank  them  ;  afterwards  he  took  his  seat  at  the 
helm,  and  bade  the  boy  who  sailed  with  him  "  go  into  the 
fore-scuttle  and  lie  down.*'  The  cutter  came  snoring  and 
firing,  but  our  smuggler  sat  still  in  \iv&  auld  sea  coat^  and  never 
seemed  to  mind  her ;  at  length  the  revenue  tars  brought  their 
row  barge  alongside,  and  damn'd  our  hero,  saying,  what  "  hin- 
dered to  haul  his  wind  and  lie  to,  when  he  saw  them  play- 
ing away  upon  him  ?  '*  "  Gude  guide  us,  (quoth  Johnnie,  with 
a  great  deal  of  seeming  ignorance)  if  I  had  ken'd  it  was 
me  ye  war  firing  at,  I  wad  hae  been  terrible  flcyed ;  "  which 


NEB  NEl  363 

answer,  and  seeing  nothing  but  a  stupid  looking  old  man 
abroad,  convinced  the  kingsmen  that  John  was  doing,  or 
could  do  nothing  in  the  smuggling  trade.  Gude  guide  us  I 
was  always  his  favourite  exclamation,  and  he  gave  it  with  such 
a  mystic  gravity  of  face,  that  the  most  serious  could  not  help 
laughing  at  him. 

Neb  o'  the  Morning — ^That  part  of  the  day  between  day- 
light and  sun-rising,  or  sun-light;  the  neb  or  nose  of  an 
animal  being  its  front  member,  so  this  part  of  the  day,  being 
its  front  part,  is  termed  the  neb  also;  now  the  neb  of 
any  animal  is  commonly  its  coldest  member,  the  beak  of 
the  morning  is  the  coldest  space  of  the  day.  And  there 
are  few  who  do  not  love  to  keep  the  bed  until  the  neb 
gangs  aff  the  moriiing;  the  coldest  time,  in  cold  weather,  is 
always  this  time  before  sun-rise ;  it  is  when  the  neb  is  on 
the  morning  that  the  hoar-frost  is  produced. 

Nedeum — A  gnawing  pain ;  when  a  com  is  biting  a  toe 
grievously,  that  toe  is  said  to  be  nedeuming ;  when  a  person 
considers  himself  injured  by  the  world,  and  is  seen  to  shun 
society,  foster  melancholy  and  misanthropic  feelings,  that 
being  is  said  to  have  a  nedeum  gnawing  his  inwards ;  when 
he  is  heard  to  curse  and  utter  wicked  imprecations  to 
himself,  he  is  then  nedeuming, 

Neers — The  kidneys  of  animals;  neer-strings,  those  strings 
which  are  connected  with  the  kidneys. 

Neets — Young  lice,  or  the  eggs  of  lice.  Pouflie^  the  muirkirk 
name  for  a  louse. 

Neety-Cud — A  low-lifed  fellow  who  commits  mean  actions. 

Neiveie-nick-nack — A  fireside  game ;  a  person  puts  a 
little  trifle,  such  as  a  button,  into  one  hand,  shuts  it  close, 
the  other  hand  is  also  shut;  then  they  both  are  whirled 
round  and  round  one  another  as  fast  as  they  can,  before 
the  nose  of  the  one  who  intends  to  guess  what  hand  the 
prize  is  in ;  and  if  the  guesser  be  so  fortunate  as  to  guess 


364  NID  NOC 

the  hand  the  prize  is  in,  it  becomes  his  property ;  the  whirl- 
ing of  the  fists  is  attended  with  the  following  rhyme  : — 

**  Neiveie,  Neiveie,  nick,  nack, 
**  What  ane  will  ye  take  ? 
"  The  right  or  the  wrang  ; 
**  Guess  or  it  be  lang, 
"  Plot  awa  and  plan, 
"rilcheatyegiflcan." 

NiDDER — The  second  shoot  grain  makes  when  growing ;  in  dry 
seasons  it  never  bursts  the  nidder ;  this  and  niddering,  to  pine 
and  fret,  to  seem  in  a  withering  state,  are  the  same. 

NiDDLE — ^To  overcome ;  he  niddkd  her,  that  is  to  say,  he  over- 
came and  robbed  her. 

NiDGELL — A  fat,  froward  young  man  ;  a  stiff  lover,  one  whom 
no  rival  will  displace. 

NiG-MA-NiES — Unnecessary  ornaments. 

NiTTERS — A  greedy,  grubbing,  impudent,  withered  female. 

NiTWUDS — Woods  of  natural  hazel,  where  nuts  are  found. 

NocKET — A  mid-day  lunch. 

Nocks — Little  beautiful  hills ;  Nockshinnie  and  Nocktannie 
used  to  be  favourite  nocks  of  mine  ;  to  these  places  I  would 
steal  sometimes,  when  melancholy  set  sore  upon  me,  and  so 
get  ease. 

Whan  mirky  duds  in  the  south-wast, 
Are  masking  up  a  blashy  blast, 
ITie  welkin  blae  to  overcast, 

And  hide  the  stanis  ; 
How  like  they're  to  the  brewings  vast, 

Whiles  o'  my  haums. 

Wild,  gloomy,  melancholy,  mad, 
Detesting  beauty,  sick,  and  sad, 
Wi'  passions  boiling  furious  bad. 

May  nane  e'er  be, 
As  I  hae  been,  weak,  simple  lad. 

Bom  as  ye  see. 

In  vain  I  try  my  brain  to  cool, 
'Twad  bum  within  the  cauldest  pool, 
I  ramble  downcast,  like  a  fool. 

By  thought  oppresl  ; 
Wi*  fancy  a'  flown  out  o'  rule, 

And  winna  rest. 


NOC  NOC  365 

It  winna  wi'  me  here  abide, 

But  darts  athwart  the  ocean's  tide, 

And  flashes  through  creation  wide, 

The  flighty  wight ; 
Nor  halts  where  marches  do  divide 

The  day  and  night. 

If  Nature  had  na  haen  a  charm. 
If  had  my  heart  been  no  sae  warm, 
Owre  keen  to  burst  and  take  alarm 

Frae  nought  ava, 
I  might  then  live  'thout  feeling  harm, 

And  grub  awa. 

My  days  wad  then  be  ne'er  alike, 
Nae  feelings  than  wad  make  me  fike. 
Then  might  I,  like  a  young  doaf  tike. 

Bough  at  the  moon  ; 
Or  crazed  Billjock  ayont  the  dike. 

Play  boo  and  croon. 

Pain  and  remorse,  sweet  fun  and  glee. 
Wad  than  l>e  ne'er  unken'd  to  me. 
In  vain  might  Tibbie's  heavenly  e'e. 

Wink  fu'  o'  love ; 
For  than  nae  mair  I'd  stewed  be. 

In  Cupid's  stove. 

0  !  wad  my  passions  row  mair  queem. 
My  sunless  saul  delight  to  gleam. 
How  happy  wad  I  down  life's  stream 

Gae  soom  awa ; 
Without  a  restless,  hellish  dream, 

My  saul  to  thraw. 

Then,  like  the  south-wast,  whan  'tis  urey. 

Divested  of  its  wrath  and  fury, 

Wi'  sunbeams  sooking  blue  and  pure,  ay. 

The  saut  green  wave  ; 
I'd  be  dear,  oh  I  wi'  nought  to  hurry. 

Or  gar  me  rave. 

But,  thanks  to  God,  wha  ne'er  forgot 
An  humble  craving  sinner's  lot, 
'Thout  pouring  forth  the  antidote 

For  its  relief; 
A  cure  for  this  vile  nether  spot. 

And  a'  its  grief. 

On  every  sorrowfu'  occasion 

1  flee  to  him  for  consolation. 

No  wi'  a  lang  and  cauld  narration 

O'  ills  to  mend  ; 
But  shortly,  simply,  my  sad  station, 

Sae  makes  an  end. 


366  NOC  NUI      • 

Whan  meiklc's  asked  for,  little's  gien, 
And  lang  petitions  ay  ill  ta'en, 
The  thing  is  natural,  I  ween, 

Sae  wants  nae  proof ; 
There's  nought  like  skelping  a*  things  clean, 

And  warm  aff  loof. 

Religion  soothes  my  weary  saul, 
l^y  it  alane  on  yirth  I  crawl, 
And  fronteth  ilka  bitter  brawl, 

*Thout  dread  or  fear  ; 
Ay  hoping  broyliments  will  quail 

Frae  year  to  year. 

Indeed,  now  I  am  not  near  so  much  troubled  with  this 
distemper  as  1  once  was.  When  in  my  teens,  I  often  thought 
it  was  going  to  overset  ray  mind  altogether. 

NoGGAN — Walking  steadily,  and  regularly  nodding  the  head. 

Noggins — Little  wooden  dishes. 

NoGGS — The  handles  of  a  scythe-sned^  or  scythe-shank. 

NoiTLED — Intoxicated  with  spirits. 

NoiTS — Little  rocky  hills ;  also  any  little  rocky  rise. 

NooF — Snug ;  sheltered  from  the  blast. 

NooLS — Small  horns,  which  are  not  connected  with  the  skull- 
bone. 

NooPiNG  —  Walking  with  eyes  on  the  ground,  and  head 
nodding. 

Nor  ART — When  the  wind  blows  any  way  out  of  a  north- 
erly airt^  or  direction,  it  is  said  to  be  blowing  from  the 
Norart, 

NoRWASi'ERT — A  bitter  blast ;  any  thing  of  a  mde  cold  nature 
is  said  to  be  a  Norwastcrt. 

NouDS — Little  fish,  about  the  size  of  herrings,  with  a  horny 
skin,  common  in  the  Galloway  seas. 

NuBBiE — An  unsocial  person,  worldly,  yet  lazy. 

NuiST — A  blow.  When  two  are  boxing,  and  one  gets  the 
other's  head  beneath  his  arm,  he  is  said  to  nnist  him  with 
the  other  hand  :  also  fiuist  means  -a  greedy,  ill-disposed, 
ignorant  person. 


NUR  ORI  367 

NuRGLE  or  NuRG — A  short-squat,  little,  savage  man. 

NuRGLiNG — A  person  of  a  nurring,  or  cat  disposition. 

Nyaph — The  female  nymphae,  Clytoris,  Pubes,  &c. 

Nyargle — A  person  fond  of  disputation,  yet  reasons  like  a 
fool.  Nyargling — wrangling  ;  threaping — nonsense.  That 
being  is  a  nyargle^  who — 

**  Whenever  there  gets  up  dispute 

**  Will  still  change  sides,  and  try  confute ;  " 

as  was  the   plan   of    Doughty   Hudibras,    who,    like    the 
Dominie — 

"That  even  tho*  vanquished,  he  would  argue  still." 

Nyatterin — To  keep  chattering  when  others  are  speak- 
ing; a  person  who  wants  to  hear  not  anything,  but  wants 
a  hearing ;  a  pest  to  society.  All  should  obey  the  natural 
orders  of  Allan  Ramsey — "  Learn  to  steek  the  gab  awee,  and 
think  afare  we  speak.*' 

o. 

O  !  Ay  !— O  yes. 

Obering — A  hint ;  an  inkling  of  something  important,  yet 
thought  a  secret.  "  I  gat  the  obering  o*  a  wadding  that's 
to  happen  soon  ; "  means,  I  got  hint  of  such  like,  in  a  crafty 
way. 

Oho  ! — An  exclamation  of  joy,  or  rather  a  joyous  assent  to  the 
truth  of  the  tale  a  telling ;  thus,  if  it  is  said  that  such  a  one 
has  got  baud  o'  a  rich  hizzie  for  a  wife,  "  Oho !  faith,  that 
cheel  has  done  weel,"  is  the  answer. 

OozLiE — A  person  is  said  to  be  oozlie  looking,  when  he  has  on 
a  long  beard,  unbrushed  clothes,  and  dirty  shoes,  as  is  the 
case  with  those  who  love  the  "  late  debauch." 

Orishen — A  term  of  reproach,  for  a  savage-behaved  in- 
dividual ;  probably  this  word  is  from  the  French  ourson,  a 
bear's  cub. 


368  ORP  OUT 

Orpie-leaves — The  leaves  of  a  plant  called  Orpy ;  good  for 

healing  cuts. 

Orts — Food  for  horses ;  the  seed  of  hay  and  com  mingled 
together. 

OsHEN — ^A  mean  person  ;  from  the  French  oisouy  a  ninny. 

OuNCLE-wEFGHTS — A  general  sweeping  name  for  all  the 
weights  that  are  used  about  farm-houses,  for  the  purposes 
of  weighing;  these  weights  are  generally  sea-stones  of 
various  sizes,  regulated  to  some  standard.  And  the  Gal- 
loway folks  have  been  long  famed  for  giving  down- 
weights^  or  something  more  than  enough,  of  any  thing 
they  either  sell  by  weight  or  measure.  I  once  heard  a 
tolerable  joke  respecting  this.  A  person  came  to  an 
honest  gude  wifty  and  wanted  a  pun  o'  butter,  but,  as  bad 
luck  would  have  it,  the  punstane  was  lost,  so  she  did  not 
know  how  in  all  the  world  she  should  serve  her  customer ; 
the  ounde-iveights  were  rummaged  over  and  over,  and  none 
less  than  the  mealstotie  quarter  could  be  found,  and  with 
this  she  saw  it  was  impossible  to  weigh  a  pound ;  while 
pondenng  the  matter  as  a  gude  i^ife  ponders,  the  tangs 
(tongs)  struck  her  fancy.  "  O !  (quo  she)  I  ken  how 
we'll  manage  now ;  the  gude  man  brought  hame  a  pair 
o'  new  tangs  the  ither  night,  which  weighed  in  the  smiddy 
just  twapun  ;  sae  stand  by  and  I'll  soon  weigh  ye  wi'  them 
your  butter."  She  then  opened  the  legs  of  the  tongs,  put 
one  leg  in  the  scale  against  the  butter,  and  let  the  other 
hang  out.  The  beam  got  a  fair  swing,  and  so  weighed  a 
douce  Galloway  pound  of  butter. 

OuTCA — A  wedding  feast  given  by  the  master  to  a  favourite 
servant ;  also  a  small  enclosure  to  drive  housed  cattle  a 
while  of  the  day  to,  so  that  they  may  snuff  the  cauller  air, 

OuTiNS — Tours  from  home ;  young  people  are  all  fond  of  this, 
too  fond  whiles,  seeing  the  truth  of  the  auld  proverb,  that  a 
"  Rolling  stane  will  never  gather  fog." 


OUT  OWR  369 

OuTLERS — Cattle    which    are  wintered    in    the    fields. — See 
Ydlnowt 

OuTRiNG — A  channlestone  term,  the  reverse  of  Inring^  (which 
see).  To  take  an  ouiring  is  generally  allowed  to  be  more 
difficult  than  taking  an  inring, 

OuTSHOT — Any  thing  shoved  or  shot  out  of  its  place  farther 
than  it  should  be ;  a  bilge  in  a  wall. 

OwLiNG — Looking  like  an  owl. 

OwRE  BoGGiE — People  are  said  to  be  married  in  an  oivre 
boggle  manner,  or  to  have  an  07ure  baggie  wedding  when  they 
do  not  go  through  the  regular  forms  prescribed  by  the 
national  kirk.  There  is  some  sweetness,  I  should  think,  and 
gallantry  felt  in  weddings  of  this  kind ;  there  is  something 
glorious  in  a  trip  to  Gretna  Green  with  a  lovely  lady :  staying 
and  getting  quietly  noosed  at  home  is  no  work — I  relish  the 
aivre  baggie  system.  Those  who  plot  in  secret  are  called  auid 
baggie  fowk ;  and  displaced  priests,  who  used  to  bind  people 
contrary  to  the  canon  laws,  though  agreeable  to  nature's,  were 
designated  auid  baggies.  There  was  an  ancient  song,  I  believe, 
of  the  name  of  the  Ou^re  Baggie,  burned  at  Edinburgh  in  the 
turbulent  times ;  this  song  is  lost,  so  think  the  antiquaries. 

OwRGAUN  Rapes — Ropes  put  over  stacks  to  hold  down  the 
thatch ;  the  vertical  ropes  into  which  are  wove  the  bridiers, 
or  those  which  run  horizontal. 

OwRiM  AND  OwRiM — When  a  bandwun  d  shearers  meet 
with  a  flat  of  growing  grain,  not  portioned  out  to  them  by 
riggSy  the  shearing  of  this  is  termed  an  awrim  and  au*rim 
shear,  or  over-him  and  over-him.  It  is  a  bad  plan  of 
reaping,  as  when  the  reapers  have  not  equal  shares,  some 
will  work  and  some  not;  some  take  more  than  they 
should,  others  not  so  much.  A  fellow  from  Green  Erin 
thus  exclaimed  once  against  this  mode — "  Hoh  !  bother- 
ation,  rigim  and  rigim  was  a  pleasant   shear,  but  oivrim 

2  A 


370  OWR PAD 

and  murim  was  the  devil;  but  Barney  can  do  any  thing 
sweet  and  azy.  WTiat's  the  use  of  a  fellow,  if  he  is  not  a  hell 
of  a  fellow,  and  has  driv  a  hearse  through  all  County  Down, 
with  his  hair  close  tied  ?  " 

OwRTER — Farther  over.     Zye  ororter,  lie  farther  over. 

OwRWALES — The  refuse  of  any  thing  selected ;  the  goats  when 
the  sheep  are  taken  away. 

Oxter — The  arm-pit;  also  to  walk  arm  in  arm.  Oxtering 
alangy  walking  away  arm  in  arm. 

OxTERLEE — An  old  fellow  of  an  extremely  crabbit  nature,  who 
once  lived  at  this  place  in  Galloway ;  he  unluckily  \i-as  a 
weaver,  a  trade  that  by  no  means  agrees  with  a  bad  temper ; 
when  a  thread  would  have  at  any  time  broke,  he  would  leap 
down  through  the  web  with  his  feet.  The  wretch  also  loved 
drink,  and  to  beat  his  wife  when  he  was  intoxicated  ;  while 
going  home  from  the  alehouse  once,  he  was  heard  saying  to 
himself,  "  If  she's  gane  lye  I'll  lick  her ;  and  if  she  be  up,  111 
lick  her,"  viz.  his  poor  i^ife.  Mercy  on  us,  this  was  giving 
her  no  chance  for  life  ! 

OvEZ  ! — Hear  ye  !  The  word  is  from  the  French  oyez  ;  old 
imperative  of  the  verb  ouiry  to  hear.  It  is  used  in  France  as 
a  call  to  attention,  before  proclamations  are  read  in  public 
places ;  anciently  it  was  used  in  our  country  for  the  same 
purpose.  Oyez,  and  sometimes  a-vyez,  was  heard  sounding 
at  fairs,  as  common  as  "  Roll  away,  sport  away,  and  be 
handy,"  is  at  this  day  by  Irish  flingsticks  and  wheel  d  fortune 
sharpers ;  at  present,  old  men  use  it  after  mentioning  things 
of  consequence,  as  "  my  son  gat  a  rich  wife,  oyez^ — "  The 
fallow's  worth  siller,  oyez^ — "  It's  a  gude  farm,  oyez^^  and  so 
forth. 

P. 

Paddert — Padded.  Thus  a  road  through  the  snow  is  padderd, 
when  it  has  been  often  trod. 


PAD  PAL  371 

Paddled  Rounall — In  large  fields  where  great  flocks  of  oxen 
graze  together,  they  have  places  where  they  often  assemble 
and  seem  to  amuse  themselves,  following  each  other  round 
and  round,  like  buoyant  bodies  in  an  aquatic  vortex.  The 
cause  for  these  animals  thus  employing  themselves  at  in- 
tervals, I  have  never  learned  ;  it  proceeds  neither  from  heat, 
nor  from  troublesome  insects.  The  brute  creation  often 
astonishes  man  with  scenes  which  seem  full  of  sense  ;  this  is 
instinct :  but  what  I  have  been  here  speaking  about  surprises 
him  with  a  mystical  something  he  cannot  describe.  These 
circular  spots  then  shorn  of  grass  are  termed  paddled 
rounalls. 

Paddock — A  small  farm ;  also  a  machine  shaped  like  a  frog, 
for  carrying  large  stones. 

Pad-Saddle — A  soft  seat  for  females  to  ride  on  horseback 
behind  their  husbands. 

Padjell — An  old  veteran  pedestrian ;  one  who  has  often  beat 
at  foot  races — these  races  were  once  very  common  in 
Galloway.  A  servant  of  Lord  Ken  more  beat  the  whole 
country  at  running  for  years.  The  night  previous  to  a  New 
Galloway  fair,  his  lordship  sent  his  man  away  to  Edinburgh 
on  an  errand,  that  he  might  be  out  of  the  way,  and  not 
shame  the  fair  for  a  season  with  his  swiftness  \  off  went 
the  fellow,  but  returned  in  time  to  run  and  gain  the  prize  as 
usual,  though  he  had  run  180  miles  in  twenty-four  hours 
just  before  it.  Prior  to  the  invention  of  post  offices,  all  lords 
and  barons  had  their  couriers,  and  this  fellow  must  have 
been  a  fleet  one. 

Painches — The  paunches  of  animals — the  guts. 

Paising — ^Weighing  anything  by  the  feel  of  the  hand — ^poising. 

Palace-Tree  —  The  place  in  Galloway,  near  the  village 
of  Gatehouse,  whereon  stood  a  palace  in  the  days  of  yore ; 
a  deep  ditch  surrounds  a  level  space  containing  about 
two  acres — on   this  stands  the  ruined  edifice ;    over  this 


372  PAP PAP 

ditch,  which  is  about  thirty  feet,  and  filled  with  water,  a 
draw  bridge  yet  "^  remains  in  perfection.  TTiis  palace  is 
thought  to  have  belonged  to  our  olden  Scotch  kings ;  and 
suited  them  for  a  Holyrood,  when  in  the  southern  parts  of 
the  dominion. 

Pap — To  let  anything  fall  lightly,  is  to  let  it  pap. 

Papple — A    noxious    seed    which    grows     amongst    wheat; 
extremely  prolific 

Papple,  the  Speaver — On  my  life,  I  cannot  pass  this  onginal 
in  silence,  for  few  men  would  I  rather  spend  an  hour  with 
than  Mr.  Papple,  the  speaver ;  he  personally  knows  almost 
every  one  in  the  south  of  Scotland ;  and  is  deeply  acquainted 
with  the  manners  of  his  native  country ;  he  seems  as  if  he 
had  gone  up  and  down  the  interior  of  the  bosoms  of  men 
with  a  lantern  and  candle,  and  seen  all  the  hidden  springs 
of  the  mysterious  mind.  He  goes  regularly  round  the 
country,  castrating  and  keeping  the  brute  creation  in  order ; 
all  news  hears  he,  and  what  he  hears  never  forgets  :  methinks 
he  has  all  by  heart  that  he  has  heard  these  fifty  years  ;  ask 
him  of  any  particular  respecting  his  country,  either  of  one 
thing  or  another,  and  if  he  knows  nothing  about  it,  it  is 
strange.  WTien  at  home,  he  is  to  be  found  at  New  Galloway  ; 
but  he  has  a  home  everywhere  in  the  country,  and  had  I  a 
house,  that  should  also  be  one  of  his  homes ;  there  might  he 
dawner  in  on  an  evening,  lay  by  dicky  on  the  press  head, 
throw  off  his  iaggans,  draw  into  the  ingie,  take  tea,  toddy, 
what  not,  with  the  utmost  comfort ;  then  to  the  pipe,  and 
crack  how  folk  in  ntoor  countries  were  doing,  and  how  the 
famous  and  worthy  Provost  d  Neu*  Galloway  was  coming 
on ;  how  sheep  smeared  and  sold ;  how  ^iel^  honest 
man,  did ;  and  my  friend  Dr.  Trotter,  if  writing  any  good 
tales,  or  if  Barbour  had  anything  ready  for  the  press; 
how  Kenmore  was  doing,  and  how  the  Miss  Dayells  were 
looking;  if  the   Lammas  spate  made   the   brig  totter;   or 


PAR  PAU  373 

if  the  tip  premium  was  good,  and  whether  Manson  had  any 
old  brandy ;  such  and  such  things  would  be  through  hands, 
before  Mr.  P.  and  me  would  part ;  aye,  and  five  hundred 
things  more,  which  have  not  been  dreamt  of 

Partons — Crab  fish ;  for  more  particulars,  see  the  article 
Roddock. 

Pasper — Samphire.  When  taken  and  eat  green  from  the 
heuchSy  makes  persons  as  hungry  as  a  hawk,  consequently  a 
healthy  herb ;  it  is  not  easily  obtained  in  some  places,  no 
more  than  it  is  on  Dover  Cliffs, 

Pat  and  Plain — A  downright  honest  way  of  speaking. 

Paul  Jones,  ^he  Pirate. — ^The  late  celebrated  sea  robber ;  a 
Gallovidian,  I  am  rather  sorry  to  say,  but  he  was  a  clever 
devil,  had  strong  talents  of  the  infernal  stamp ;  he  was  a 
short  thick  little  fellow,  above  five  feet  eight  in  height,  of  a 
dark  swarthy  complexion.  Now  I  am  going  to  say  somewhat 
of  this  fellow,  and  all  I  say  I  think  is  truth,  for  I  have  it  from 
the  lips  of  many  who  personally  knew  him,  and  all  about  his 
singular  ways.  He  was  a  common  sailor  for  several  years, 
out  of  the  port  of  Kirkcudbright,  and  was  allowed  to  be  un 
matched  on  that  coast  for  skill  in  sea  matters ;  he  was  a  pilot 
of  the  first  kind,  was  quick  at  conception,  and  a  prophet  at 
foretelling  the  coming  of  storms  ;  and  when  tempests  might 
catch  the  bark  he  was  in,  he  dreaded  them  not,  but,  like 
Falconer's  Rodmand,  was 


<( 


First  in  action — in  retreat  the  last." 


Yet,  though  a  famous  seaman,  his  mess-mates  generally  disliked 
him  ;  he  was  of  a  quick,  fiery  temper,  and  of  a  mad  ambitious, 
aspiring  nature  ;  and  when  roused,  he  cared  not  what  he  did, 
but  would  have  knocked  down  all  who  came  in  his  way, 
with  the  first  weapon  he  fell  in  with  ;  a  capstern-bar  was  his 
favourite  cudjell,  and  once  being  beset  with  a  press-gang^  in 
Liverpool,  he  laid  three  dead  on  the  deck,  and  dashed  the 


374  PAU  . PAU 

rest  overside  his  sloop,  into  the  Salihause  Dock.  Having 
got  the  command  of  a  pretty  large  vessel  belonging  to 
Kirkcudbright,  he  set  sail  with  her  to  America,  for  a  caigo  of 
tobacco ;  while  crossing  the  wide  Atlantic,  one  of  the  crew, 
a  young  lad  of  fair  promise,  having  some  how  or  other 
irritated  him,  the  devilish  monster  ran  to  a  pot  of  pitch 
boiling  on  the  deck,  and  flang  a  ladle-full  of  the  horrid  fluid 
about  the  youth,  who,  in  desperation  with  the  pain,  leaped 
overboard,  into  the  gulf  stream,  and  was  seen^  no  more. 
The  Earl  of  Selkirk,  hearing  of  this  diabolic  act  of  Paul 
Jones,  threatened,  that  if  ever  he  came  back  to  the  country, 
he  should  receive  his  reward  in  punishment  for  the  same. 
Such  news  reaching  the  horrid  captain,  as  he  lay  with 
his  ship  off  Long  Island,  New  York,  gave  him  the  first 
hint  of  changing  his  mode  of  life ;  having  got  a  crew  he 
could  depend  on  in  every  infernal  enterprize,  and  having 
turned  such  as  did  not  suit  him  adrift,  he  steered  out  a 
pirate,  bent  on  bloody  deeds,  scouring  the  ocean  in  all 
directions,  and  taking  prizes  and  property  to  great  amount : 
it  was  now  neck  or  nothing  with  him,  so  he  brought  his 
mighty  talents  fairly  into  action.  Ships  of  all  nations 
dreaded  him ;  the  name  of  Paul  Jones  struck  terror  into 
thousands,  and  he  was  frequently  thought,  like  CrumwhulVs 
gib  cat,  to  be  where  he  ^'as  not.  Having  captured,  at 
one  time  and  another,  a  large  fleet,  he  became  quite  a 
piratic  Commodore,  and  'was  more  severe  on  Britain  thaji 
on  any  other  nation,  and  most  favourable  to  the  French ; 
the  latter  soon  becoming  acquainted  with  his  kindness, 
offered  him  one  of  their  highest  naval  situations,  which 
was  channel  pilot,  the  which  he  accepted,  and  became 
a  great  favourite  at  the  court  of  France.  It  was  just 
about  this  stage  of  his  career,  that  he  made  his  attack 
upon  Auid  Scotland^  to  be  revenged  on  the  Earl  of 
Selkirk,  for  his  threat  towards  him.  He  brought  his 
fine  ship  of  war,  the  Serapis,  to  an  anchor,  at  the  mouth 


PAU  PAU  375 

of  his  native  river  Dee,  one  beautiful  summer  morning,  about 
forty-five  years  ago,  and  sent  his  barge,  manned  and  armed, 
to  S^.  Marys  IsU^  for  the  purpose  of  catching  his  Lordship, 
who  luckily  was  not  at  home  that  day.  After  surrounding 
the  mansion,  and  making  search,  the  pirates  came  off  dis- 
appointed, but  took  tlie  family  silver  plate  with  them,  the 
which  they,  after  a  time,  returned,  accompanying  the  same 
with  a  singular  letter,  in  which  was  notified,  that  if  his  lord- 
ship had  been  with  him,  after  he  left  the  Dee,  he  would  have 
witnessed  a  fine  sea-fight  between  him  and  the  Ranger, 
British  frigate  :  this  was  a  severe  bout ;  the  pirates  beat  her 
off,  but  did  not  follow  up  their  capture.  What  he  would 
have  done  with  his  lordship  had  he  caught  him,  has  been  a 
question  ;  it  is  thought  that  he  would  ransomed  him  for  the 
value  of  his  estate,  and  so  caused  his  utter  ruin.  Before 
arriving  at  the  Dee,  he  had  called  at  Whitehaven^  a  town  that 
had  once  huffed  him,  and  having  spiked  the  cannons  on  the 
battery  there,  he  attempted  to  set  the  place  on  fire,  but  the 
houses  being  all  of  free-stone,  he  could  not  get  it  to  blaze 
so  well  as  he  wished;  such  traits,  in  the  character  of 
Paul  Jones,  prove  him  a  being  of  an  hellish  disposition ; 
for  those  men  of  a  revengeful  nature,  are  evidently  the 
most  horrid  wretches  on  earth.  Having  rounded  Scotland 
and  visited  the  Firth  of  Forth,  he  returned  to  Brest — at- 
tended on  the  French  navy,  and  had  them  frequently  on  the 
point  almost  of  starting  to  the  invasion  of  Britain ;  falling 
sick,  however,  he  retired  to  Paris,  or  somewhat  in  its 
neighbourhood,  where  he  died,  a  young  man  rather,  not 
fifty  years  of  age  ;  he  died  very  rich,  and  all  his  gold  went 
to  the  French  treasury ;  whether  any  of  his  heirs  in  Gallo- 
way could  come  at  any  of  this,  I  know  not.  He  was  the 
father  of  a  natural  son,  by  a  married  lady,  the  which  son 
yet  lives,  but  is  ratherly  a  day  loch,  Paul  Jones  seems  to 
be  unrivalled  as  a  pirate;  his  undaunted  courage,  his 
penetrating  judgment,  and  his  ssvage  temper,  befitted  him  in 


376  PAU  PEA 

an  extraordinary  manner  for  the  damnable  trade.  It  is 
laughable  to  look  back  at  the  sensation  he  caused  amongst 
the  rural  bodies  of  Galloway,  when  he  brought  his  ship  upon 
their  lonely  shores;  some  armed  themselves  with  scythes, 
some  with  pitch-forks,  old  guns  too  were  looked  at,  while 
many  fled  and  hid  themselves  in  Rossens  d  whuns^  caves,  and 
wild  mosses.  A  row-boat  went  down  the  river,  heavily 
armed,  the  evening  he  stood  out  to  sea,  for  the  purpose  of 
intercepting  him  with  their  tale  of  it,  if  he  dared  to  return ; 
when  this  boat  came  in  sight  of  the  Oyster  Craigj  it  was 
thought  to  be  Paul  yones*  armed  barge,  so  a  heavy  firing  was 
opened  on  it,  and  as  the  tide  was  filling,  the  rock  in  time 
became  covered  with  water,  so  the  fluttering  fancies  of  the 
borough-bravadoes  conceiving  that  the  baige  was  down,  they 
returned  in  a  joyous  flight  home ;  next  day  they  went  back, 
and  on  examining  the  rock,  found  it  battered  bitu  with  the 
leaden  bullets,  since  which  time  it  has  been  termed  the 
FrenchmatCs  Rock, 

Pawchle — A  frail  old  tJbdy,  seeming,  as  it  were,  to  paw  for 
assistance ;  also,  a  person  of  low  stature,  rather  silly. 

Pawmie — A  name  for  the  Knave  at  Cards  ;  oftener  ^ack. 

Pawt — To  paw  with  the  feet ;  she  never  gaed  a  panft,  she 
never  moved  her  feet. 

Peaner — A  cold-looking,  naked,  trembling  being — small  of  size. 

Peanerflee — A  light-looking  craw  d  a  body;  one  like 
Auld  Ned,  who  looks  like  taking  the  air.  Ned  is  really 
a  wonderful  soul,  and  singular  enough  in  his  way ;  an  hon- 
est body,  full  of  life,  and  takes  a  glass  of  good  whisky 
with  any  man ;  his  intimmers  are  of  the  best  kind,  he  can 
be  drunk  and  sober  three  times  in  a  day ;  can  drink  as 
much  as  would  fill  three  strong  men  full ;  tarr  ar  a,  tautra 
bubus,  big  bull  7vaggie,  botu,  boiv,  bow,  is  Ned's  song, 
which  he  gives  with  a  scraigh  when  fou ;    indeed,   he   is 


PEA  PED  377 

the  finest  scraigher  I  ever  heard ;  he  has  no  care,  and  as 
for  the  kicks  of  the  world  and  fortune,  he  values  them 
nothing. 

Peanies — Female  turkeys. 

Peatclaig — A  place  built  with  stones  to  hold  peat 

Peatnuik — A  nook  to  hold  peats,  generally  a  dark  comer ; 
it  is  the  prison  in  country  schools  for  culprits  and  dunces, 
and  is  the  first  gaol  of  many  that  bad  boys  are  frequently  put 
into.  In  a  worthy  dominies  diary ^  the  following  funny  day's 
work  appears  : — "  24th  May — A  little  restive  the  greater  part 
of  the  night,  was  often  lying  on  my  right  side,  often  on  my 
left :  started  at  six,  said  prayers,  washed  face,  and  mounted 
hill  to  look  about  me ;  a  fine  breeze  S.S.W.,  thin  clouds  over 
the  sun's  face.  Saw  the  fox  steal  into  the  wood  with  a  hen 
between  his  jaws  ;  thought  at  first  it  was  my  white  duck,  was 
agreeably  surprised  on  finding  it  was  not  she.  Found  a 
lark's  nest,  and  four  young  ones  in  it ;  put  up  my  ffiark^  so 
that  I  might  see  it  again  ;  thought  about  taming  a  lark,  then 
thought  again  there  might  be  despotism  in  me  if  I  did  so, 
laughed  at  the  idea ;  took  breakfast,  eat  three  eggs,  wife  a 
little  sulky;  opened  school  at  ten,  looked  the  key  to  Hutton's 
Arithmetic,  found  the  boys  riotous,  put  three  to  ^t  peatnuik; 
opened  a  new  Latin  class,  saw  a  beauty  in  Horace  I  had  not 
seen  before.  Boys  still  riotous,  put  two  more  to  the 
peatnuik;  plied  my  cane  freely,  broke  it  o'er  a  young 
rascal's  head,  had  a  sorry  day's  teaching ;  let  the  school  out 
an  hour  sooner  than  usual,  looked  at  my  lancets,  went  and 
bled  a  female  friend  ;  met  at  her  house  a  young  man  from 
Edinburgh,  a  doctor,  found  much  medical  knowledge  in  him ; 
came  home,  wife  in  better  humour,  planted  some  cabbages, 
took  the  cow  to  the  bull ; "  so  ends  that  day's  principal 
transactions. 

Pechan — The  belly ;  peeking^  blowing ;  pech,  to  blow. 

Pedrall — ^A  child  beginning  to  walk  ;  paidie. 


378  PEE  PEN 

Peelaflee — A  light  person,  and  not  heavily  clothed. 

Peelaneets — Potatoes,  boiled  with  their  skins  on. 

Peeling — Travelling  in  a  ^^indy,  wild  day,  with  light  clothes 
on. 

Peelocks — The  same  as  Peelaneets  ;  murphies  needing  peeling. 

Peg — The  ball  shinie  players  play  with. 

Pegpie — The  magpie ;  pees-weep^  the  lapwing. 

Peg  Puff — A  young  woman  resembling  an  old  one  in  her 
manners. 

Pellocks — Porpoises ;  seen  before  a  storm. 

Pen — An  old  saucy  man,  with  a  sharp  nose. 

Penn — A  sewer ;  see  Rummling  Sire, 

Penpunt — Waefii  cheel^  as  he  used  to  term  himself,  when 
running  the  country.  For  Penpunt  was  a  beggar  of  strange 
character,  and  because  he  belonged  to  the  dauchen  o 
Penpunt^  from  it  he  had  his  name,  and  w^ell  was  known 
for  long  all  over  the  country.  Though  pretty  well  liked 
by  folks  as  a  poor  man,  he  was  a  greedy  wretch,  and 
outwalked  all  other  vagrants  that  crossed  his  path  ; 
could  walk  between  fifty  and  sixty  miles  every  day,  and 
call  at  all  houses  that  came  in  his  way ;  on  entering  a 
house  he  used  always  to  sing  out — "Here  comes  Auld 
Penpunt,  waefu'  cheel,  gie  him  his  awmouSy  and  let  him 
rin  again  ! "  He  understood  the  art  of  begging  well,  could 
tell  a  tolerable  tale,  and  sing  a  smutty  Galloway  snatch, 
such  as  the  Bonny  Muirhen ;  and  also  shew  that  he 
knew  more  than  one  would  have  thought  A  brade  blue 
bonnet  wore  he,  ane  bonnet  like  a  7vinno7ifing  u*echt ;  a 
plaid  was  always  fanked  round  his  shoulders,  so  with  a 
large  rung  or  bourdoun  in  hand,  rambled  Pefipunt ;  his 
wife  and  family  would  never  eat  any  of  his  awmous  meal. 
On  a  brother  of  his  who  had  a  small  farm,  he  often 
insisted  to  take  the  mealpowk  by  the  string,  and   follow 


PEN PET  379 

him,  as  his  trade  was  much  better  than  farmmg ;  he  would 
often  say,  "  that  begging  was  not  worthy  the  following  gin 
ane  cudna  turn  a  crown  a  day  at  it"  He  departed  this  life, 
waefu'  man,  about  two  or  three  years  since,  and  was 
honoured  with  some  notice,  in  the  obituary  of  a  Dum- 
fries newspaper — 

Tho'  his  tongue  was  na  blunt, 
Tho'  he  bore  a  strong  runt, 
Death  dang  to  the  de'il  the  queer  shaver  Penpunl. 
Sae  he's  taen  frae  his  trade, 
And  his  bonnet  sae  brade, 
And  lies  here  'neath  the  swade, 
Waefu'  body  Penpimt. — 

Penpunts  Epitaph, 

Peter  a  Dick's  Peatstack — A  favourite  dancing  step  with  the 
peasantry,  performed  by  giving  three  flegs  with  the  feet,  and 
two  stamps  with  the  heel  alternately;  such  is  the  simple 
dance,  the  movement  of  the  feet  correspond  to  these  words 
when  said  at  the  same  time ;  indeed,  the  noise  the  feet  makes 
seems  to  speak  them — Peter  a  Dick,  Peter  a  Dick,  Peter  a 
DicHs  Peatstack,  It  is  commonly  the  first  step  dancing 
masters  teach  their  pupils;  the  A,  B,  C,  &c.  of  dancing 
science,  when  the  scholars  become  tolerable  at  beetling  it ; 
they  are  next  taught  to  fleup  through  the  side-step ;  then 
yack  on  the  Green,  SJiawintrewse,  and  other  hornpipes,  with 
the  Highland  Fling,  mayhap ;  these  dances  are  all  got  pretty 
well  by  the  feet  in  \^^  first  motith,  with  sketches  oi  foursome, 
eightsome  reels,  and  some  country  dances;  but  if  the 
scholars  attend  the  fortnight  again  of  another  month,  they 
proceed  at  great  length  into  the  labyrinths  of  the  art.  A 
light  heeVd  sooter  is  generally  the  dancing  dominie ;  he  fixes 
on  a  bam  in  some  clauchan  to  show  forth  in ;  he  can  both 
fiddle  and  dance,  at  the  same  time ;  can  cut  double  quick 
time,  and  trible  Bob  Major;  he  fixes  on,  and  publishes 
abroad  when  his  trial  night  is  to  come  on,  so  the  young 
folks  in  the  neighbourhood  doff  their  clogs,  and  put  on 
their    kirk-shoon,  these    being    their   dancing  pumps;    off 


38o  PET  PET 

they  go  to  the  trials  which,  if  it  be  a  good  turn-out,  he 
tries  no  more,  but  begins  teaching  directly ;  if  not,  he  has 
a  second^  and  even  a  third  trial ;  well,  in  the  first  month, 
as  has  been  stated,  such  dances  are  taught ;  in  the  second, 
the  '^  Flowers  of  Edinburgh,"  mayhap ;  Sweden  and 
Bclilis  Marches^  with  other  hornpipes,  and  country  dances 
many ;  such  as  the  Yillwife  and  her  Barries — Mary  Grey — 
The  wun  that  shook  the  barley,  &c  with  the  famous 
Bumpkin  Brawley ;  yes,  and  they  will  even  dare,  some 
times,  to  imitate  our  Continental  neighbours  over  the 
water,  in  their  waltzing,  alimanging,  and  Cotillion  trade; 
ay,  and  be  up  with  the  Spaniards  too,  in  their  quadrilles, 
borellos,  and  falderalloes  of  nonsense ;  so  out-taught,  they 
become  fit  to  attend  house-heatings,  volunteer  and  masonic 
balls,  what  not  Partners  are  taken  to  the  pracieez- 
ings  and  balls;  these  girls,  whom  boys  chose  thus  to 
partner  them,  are  commonly  beloved  by  them  for  ever 
afterwards;  indeed,  love  is  first  felt  by  thousands  at  danc- 
ing-schools; to  those  sweet  dears,  ribbons,  lockets,  and 
strings  d  beads,  are  brought,  to  adorn  their  fair  bodies.  Now, 
after  all,  I  am  not  meaning  to  laugh  at  this  art,  nor  do 
I  intend  to  praise  it.  Dancing  is  a  famous  amusement, 
but,  like  every  art,  I  have  known  some  better  at  it  who 
were  never  taught  than  those  who  were ;  who  could  give 
a  hooh  and  a  crack  with  their  heels,  in  a  wonderful  funny 
original  manner. 

Peter's  Pleuch — The  constellation  Ursa  Major,  or  the 
big  bear ;  the  twa  big  stars  d  the  soam  point  to  the 
Pole  star. 

"Lang  Peter's  Pleugh  lift  hintings  round  the  Pole." 

Walla  Poem, 

Peit-davs — Good  days,  among  foul  weather.  A  pet  is 
always  a  dangerous  creature;  thus  a  child,  petted  by  its 
I)arents,  plays  the  devil  some  day  or  other  in  the  world ; 


PEY PIK  381 

a  sheep  petted^  is  apt  to  turn  a  duncher ;  and  a  friend, 
dawted  too  much,  is  likely  to  become  an  adder. 

Peyay — The  call  milk-maids  make  for  calves  to  come  to 
their  mothers. 

Peyvee — ^A  strange  nonsensical  bustle,  for  no  end ;  a  cere- 
monious fluster ;  some  people  are  always  in  a  peyvee  throng 
seemingly  to  the  last  degree,  yet  doing  little ;  still  in 
a  breathless  state,  without  a  moment's  time  to  spare  to 
speak  to  an  honest  man,  who  bicker  quick  along  the  streets, 
and  have  brains  yi///  of  emptiness. 

Pick  and  Chuse — Select,  and  stand  by  the  selected ;  to  find 
a  wife,  in  the  wide  world  of  women,  then  keep  by  her. 

PiCKiNG-CAUVE — Cows  are  said  to  pick-cauvey  when  they 
have  miscarriages;  that  is  to  say,  bring  forth  their  young 
before  the  proper  period ;  when  one  cotv  in  a  flock  takes 
this  geCy  generally  more  of  them  do.  Farmers,  to  prevent 
this,  take  good  care  not  to  irritate  their  cows,  by  bringing 
dogs  amongst  them,  or  shedding  blood  of  oxen  on  their 
pasture. 

PiCKTHANK — A  talepyet ;  one  who  bites  behind  backs. 

PiEiNG — Looking  steadfastly  at  some  object ;  like  a  dog, 
when  he  sees  ground  a  stirring  by  a  mole  in  it;  how  he 
looks,  making  his  head  move  from  side  to  side,  before  he 
pounces. 

PiEPHER — An  extremely  useless  creature,  probably  a  cypher ; 
a  nothing  in  a  common-wealth,  such  is  a  piephering 
monkey. 

PiGGS — Porcelain  ware,  Piggs  and  whustleSy  a  man's  foolish 
furniture,  nick  nacksy  which  are  always  in  the  way.  Figg- 
wiveSy  females  who  trudge  the  country  with  trackpot  warcy 
bonds y  plates,  &c.;  they  are  only  one  remove  from  common 
beggars,  and  mostly  more  disliked. 

PiKET-BODiES — People  narrowly  disposed,  who  grub  and  pick 
pikingSy  food  left  after  a  feast     "  Dogs  are  flung  banes  to 


382  PIL PIR 

pike!^  A  beggar  man  once  got  a  bone  from  a  miser  to  pick, 
and  was  obsen'cd  on  the  sunny  side  of  a  dyke,  piking  it  with 
his  specks  on,  which  bespoke  the  charitable  donor. 

Pillion — A  sack  filled  with  soft  matter  for  people  to  ride  on  ; 
also  pillions  are  sacks  and  budgets  full  of  soft  stuffs. 

PiNGLE — To  strive  to  kemp,  to  compete ;  pingle-pans^  little  pans 
for  preparing  food  for  babes  in. 

PiNKERTON — A  person  beneath  expectation,  one  with  a 
small  mind,  with  only  a  pink^  or  small  gleam  of  light  in 
it,  such  as  Sawnie  Corbie,  who,  being  at  a  parish  kirk 
once,  with  a  "  split  new  suit  o'  claes  on,"  after  the  preach- 
ing was  07vrey  a  7tfat  day  came  on ;  Sawnie,  loath  to  have 
his  clothes  steeped^  flung  them  off  his  back,  bundled  them 
in  his  plaid,  and  skelped  home  mither  naked;  such  is  a 
pinkerion,  oi  pinkie. 

Pinkle-Pankle— The  sound  of  liquid  in  a  bottle. 

Piper's  Co'  o'  Cowend — A  very  celebrated  Gallovidian 
cave  in  the  parish  of  Colvend ;  it  is  situated  on  a  lonely 
shore,  and  frequently  is  heard  the  sound  of  the  bagpipe 
therein  ;  whiles  the  wild  pibroch  is  a  merry,  but  oftener  a 
melancholy  air ;  some  think  the  piper  the  dnil^  others 
fancy  the  musician  to  be  some  kind  carline,  who  reveres 
the  memory  of  departed  Highlanders,  who  were  andently 
smothered  in  the  cave ;  there  is  also  a  bottomless  well 
in  it,  at  least  one  which  lead  and  cord  hath  not  yet 
sounded. 

Pirnies — Night-caps,  woven  of  various  coloured  threads, 
such  as  those  bearing  the  name  of  Killmarnock,  The 
Laird  o'  Broomcleuch  was  a  bachelor,  and  for  many  years 
was  troubled  with  a  swelling  in  the  breast,  so  that  the  old 
gentleman  could  scarcely  bestir  himself  any  where  ;  so  his 
friends  gathered  about  him  like  corby-craws,  and  one  took 
away  this  part  of  his  property,  another  that,  until  the 
laird's  house  became  almost  entirely  empty,  or,  as  he  said 


PIR  PIT  383 

himself,  "  they  herried  me."  One  day  while  he  was  sitting 
alone  in  his  mansion,  reflecting  about  its  emptiness,  a 
monkey  which  he  kept,  and  which  his  relations  did  not 
think  worthy  to  carry  away,  came  frisking  about  him,  leaped 
on  to  his  shoulder,  and  plucked  off  his  ///7//V,  making  off 
with  the  booty  as  fast  as  it  could  spang.  The  laird,  at  this, 
fell  into  a  tremendous  fit  of  laughter,  which  so  much 
agitated  the  swollen  breast,  that  it  burst  in  the  interior  with 
an  awful  gush,  the  which  bilious  matter  he  vomited  up,  and 
in  a  short  time  was  able  to  move  about  amongst  his  friends, 
and  thank  them  for  the  kindness  and  attention  they  had 
shewn  him  during  his  illness,  by  desiring  them,  in  not  a  very 
pleasant  tone,  to  return  him  every  article  which  they  had 
forcibly  purloined ;  afterwards  he  made  a  will,  in  which,  I 
believe,  there  was  no  mention  made  of  those  who  so  kindly 
attended  his  sick  bed ;  such  is  always  the  fate  of  the  over- 
greedy — 

For  if  they  glie  and  CTasp  at  a* 
The  devil  ha'et  they*ll  get  ava*. 

PiRR — Blood  is  said  to //rr  from  the  wound  made  by  a  lancet; 
a  girl  is  said  to  look  pirr  when  gaily  dressed.  Pirr  is  ilso  a 
sea-fowl  with  a  long  tail  and  black  head,  its  feet  are  not 
webbed ;  it  flies  above  the  bosom  of  the  calm  sea,  and  when- 
ever it  sees  any  small  fish  or  fry,  dives  down  through  the  air 
on  them,  crying  ^^pirr!'^  It  lays  five  eggs,  somewhat  like 
ttivhit  eggs  in  size  and  colour. 

PiRKUs — Any  kind  of  perquisite. 

PiSHMiNNiES — Ants;  pish  means  piss;  pishminnie  tammocks^ 
or  hillansy  ant-hills ;  pish  also  means  a  heavy  fall  of  rain. 

PiSK — A  dry-looking,  saucy  girl ;  pisket-grass,  dried,  shrivelled 
grass  ;  any  thing  withering  dry  is  pisky ;  to  behave  dryly  to 
a  friend  is  to  behave  pisket. 

Pitter-patter — All  in  a  flutter;  sometimes  pittie-pattie^  the 
movements  of  a  perturbed  heart. 


384  PLO  POU 

Plodderan — ^Toiling  night  and  day  almost ;  the  first  thing 
that  disgusted  me  with  a  farmer's  life,  and  what  disgusts 
thousands  at  it,  is  the  not  having  a  moment  of  time  that  can 
be  said  to  be  our  own. 

Plotted— Boiled,  or  ratherly  plunged  in  boiling  water. 

Plumb — ^The  noise  a  stone  makes  when  plunged  into  a  deep 
pool  of  water;  people  guess  as  to  a  pool's  depth  by  this  plumb, 

Plumrocks — Primroses ;  in  some  places  pimroses. 

PocKiAWRD — Marked  with  the  small-pox. 

PocKSHAKiNGS — ^The  youngest  children  of  families. 

PoDDS — The  boxes  wherein  nature  preserves  the  seeds  of 
various  plants ;  a  bean  podd,  that  holds  five  beans,  and  Sipea 
podd,  which  contains  nine  peas,  are  considered  to  be  sonsy, 
and  put  up  above  the  lintle  of  the  door  by  maidens,  and  the 
first  male  that  enters  after  they  are  so  placed  will  either  be 
their  husband  or  like  him. 

PoRR — To  stab ;  the  noise  a  sharp  instrument  makes,  darting 
into  the  flesh. 

PoRTUALE — A  singular  song,  commonly  sung  about  Christmas. 
See  White  boys. 

Poss — To  squeeze  wet  clothes  in  a  tub,  to  wash  by  squeezing. 

PossEY — A  large  party  of  people  all  of  a  mind. 

Pouching — The  trick  of  pocketing;  if  a  lady  shows  us 
her  garden,  and  we  fall  to  the  plucking  of  finit  and  eating 
it,  before  she  grants  permission,  do  we  not  behave  rudely  ? 
and  if  we  pull  and  pocket,  our  manners  become  abomi. 
nable.  In  truth,  pouching  is  a  gentle  method  of  stealing, 
and  I  would  as  soon  become  a  real  thief  at  once  as  a  petty 
poucher.  Some  people,  though,  have  a  natural  propensity 
this  way,  and  others  can  look  at  every  thing,  but  touch  no- 
thing; but  those  who  pouch  at  funerals  are  the  most 
hateful  race  of  pouchers.  One  in  particular,  which  1  will 
not  trouble  myself  to  write  his  detestable  name,  whenever 


POU  PRE  385 

the  sen^ice  came  round  to  him,  he  looked  for  the  largest 
piece  of  short-bread  or  plumb-cake  on  the  servety  seized 
on  it  with  a  sharkish  manner,  took  a  bite  of  one  comer, 
and  pouclud  the  rest.  The  wine  or  drink  with  which 
he  was  served  to,  baffled  him  to  play  the  same  trick  with 
it;  but  he  pouched  or  painched  it  every  drop,  another 
way.  Once  some  wags  espied  my  gentleman  very  throng 
at  a  wealthy  funeral,  and  as  the  burial  folk  had  to  come 
down  a  straight  stair  after  they  lifted^  they  made  up  a 
plan  to  there  jostle  him,  and  ease  his  large  wallets  of  their 
contents,  which  they  accomplished  very  handsomely,  by 
some  going  before  and  others  behind,  the  upper  pushing,  the 
under  stelling^  while  an  expert  hand  brought  out  the  cargo, 
consisting,  no  doubt,  of  sundries,  all  of  which  were  never 
missed  by  him  until  he  came  home ;  but  on  his  there  dis- 
covering that  the  treasury  was  extracted,  he  got  such  a  shock 
of  remorse,  as  never  allowed  him  to  pouch  any  more. 

Poullie-Hens — Plucked-looking  hens;  poullie  to  look 
plucked  like;  poul^  a  tnollan^  a  pole. 

Pout — To  start  up  on  a  sudden,  as  something  from  under  the 
water ;  to  po^o  up^  to  shew  the  head,  pow  being  the  head ; 
pout'Womiy  the  worm  with  the  head,  the  grub. 

PoUTREV — Poultry  ;  pouts,  young  game  birds. 
Pow — The  head  ;  pow-heads,  young  frogs. 

There's  little  wit  in  the  pow. 
That  hauds  the  cannle  to  the  lowe. 

Auld  Say, 

Preen-cuds — Pin-cushions,  places  to  hold  preens,  and  corking- 
preens, 

Preest-cat — An  ingleside  game ;  a  piece  of  stick  is  made  red 
in  the  fire  ;  one  hands  it  to  another,  saying, 

"  About  wi'  that,  about  wi'  that, 
**  Keep  alive  the  preest-cat." 

Then  round  is  handed  the  stick,  and  whomsoever's  hand  it 

goes  out  in,  that  is  in  a  wad,  and  must  kiss  the  crook,  the 

2  B 


386  PRE PRI 

cUps^  and  what  not,  ere  he  gets  out  of  it ;  anciently,  when 
the  priesfs  cat  departed  this  life,  wailing  began  on  the 
country  side,  as  it  was  thought  it  became  some  supernatural 
being,  a  witch,  perhaps,  of  hideous  form ;  so  to  keep  it 
alive  was  a  great  matter. 

"Lilly  Cuckoo,  Lilly  Cuckoo, 

**  Sticks  and  stanes,  lie  at  thy  weary  banes, 

"Ifthoufa\  for  a*  I  blaw, 
"  Lilly  Cuckoo,  Lilly  Cuckoo." 

This  rhyme  is  common  in  the  priest-cat  sport  toward  the 
border. 

Priest-Dridder — Dread  of  priests.  Not  long  ago  people  in 
the  country  were  very  much  in  awe  of  their  priests ;  they 
considered  them  people  supematurally  endowed,  fit  to 
lay  gJiaistSy  talk  with  boggles  and  spreets,  shake  hands  with 
death,  and  do  many  other  such  wonders.  Them  and 
their  sessions,  their  cutty-stools,  and  full  bottonid  wigs, 
hollo7v  grams,  and  dranting  prayers,  made  the  fowk  at 
times  almost  swarf  with  a  dridder  or  dread.  But  Bums, 
and  other  clear-brained  fellows  arose  in  time,  and  after 
stripping  them  to  the  buff,  let  the  bleer-^ed  see  that  the 
priests  were  like  it/ier  fowk,  and  many  of  them  even 
worse.  I  give  the  clergymen  of  Scotland  no  claim  at  all 
to  the  better  light  now  beaming  in  the  country,  for  they 
wished  to  keep  all  in  darkness,  rather  than  otherwise,  "  brutes 
being  much  easier  managed  than  men  ; "  but  in  spite  of  their 
clouds  we  got  suns,  whose  rays  penetrate  them.  I  am  no 
foe  at  all  to  them,  as  they  are  now-a-days  ;  but  am  far  firom 
obeying  the  old  proverb,  "  that  corbies  and  clergy  are  a  shot 
right  kittled  I  feel  no  quatns  of  conscience  in  speaking 
about  them  what  I  think,  whenever  they  chance  to  come  in 
my  way.  Though  a  greedy  enough  squady  yet  stiU  I  take 
some  pleasure  in  going  to  church  to  hear  them  preach 
now  and  then  ;  but  for  dread  they  give  me  none,  nor  can 
they  give  any  to  a  manly  person ;  a  black  coat  and  a  blue 
one  causing  the  same  sensations  of  dridder. 


PRI  PSA  387 

Prigging — Higgling  in  market-making ;  some  merchants  alter 
not  the  price  of  their  goods,  let  the  buyer  prigg  as  he 
may.  I  think,  however,  there  is  something  natural  in  a 
seller  to  fall  a  little  in  the  first  value  he  lays  on  to  the 
purchaser. 

Prouds — Pricks ;  proddledy  pricked ;  the  same  nearly  with 
proitled. 

Proitled — To  stir  after  a  pushing  manner,  as  we  do  when  we 
wish  to  rouse  burntrouts  out  of  water-rat  holes :  we  proitle 
them  out  from  beneath  the  overhanging  brows  with  the  but- 
end  d  the  fish-wan, 

Proker — Poker,  for  stirring  fires. 

Prog — Cry,  at  horses  when  they  are  wanted  to  stand  still,  or, 
at  least,  not  to  gallop. 

Proop — The  still  small  voice  of  a  certain  wind-pipe;  one  of  the 
children  of  that  strange  animal  v^h'ichjlies  wingless.  We  hear 
of  animals  broken  wnnd,  what  are  these  ?  viz.  those  which 
breathe  quick,  which  have  a  kind  of  asthmatic  wheezle ;  horses 
are  sometimes  this  way,  so  think  that  respectabU  class  of  men, 
horse-jockies,  who  are  themselves  oftener  broken  ivund,  "  I 
hate  stane  naigsj^  quoth  one  the  other  day,  "  but  waur  I 
hate  them  wha  lead  them.**  Broken  wun  and  braking  luun 
are  different  though,  hech  how, 

PsALM-siNGiNG  BoDiES  —  Religious  folk,  of  an  austere 
disposition.  When  those  sacred  pieces  of  poetry,  termed 
paraphrases,  were  first  introduced  into  the  public  worship 
of  our  maker  —  An  old  woman,  one  of  these  rigid 
righteous^  said  "  They  did  na  taste  sae  weel  in  her  gab  as 
the  auld  psalms  o'  Davie ; "  and  to  make  another  trivial 
remark,  an  Irishman  who  bad  been  engaged  with  a  farmer 
during  harvest,  was  astonished  one  evening  with  his  master 
when  he  started  the  psalm,  to  be  sung  as  a  thing  prepara- 
tory to  the  taking  the  bulk.     The  poor  fellow,   who  had 


388  PSA  PSA 

probably  never  heard  of  such  a  thing,  or  of  the  psalms 
either,  exclaimed,  after  the  family  had  lilted  a  verse  or 
two,  probably  with  all  the  swing  of  old  Coleshtily  or  the 
Martyrs,  "  Hoch !  botheration,  what  kind  of  singing  is 
that  ?  stop,  and  1*11  give  ye  a  barr  or  two  of  the  bleaching 
piny  To  please  these  holy  folk,  these  psalm-singing 
bodies,  I  may  give  a  few  verses,  written  by  a  Galloway  bard, 
guess  wha — 

THE  SOUL  OF  SORROW. 

0  !  my  God,  why  was  I  bom  ? 
Why  am  1  tantalized  so  sore  ? 

Why  do  1  wander  wild,  forlorn. 

Along  this  rocky,  roaring  shore  ? 
Grief  and  woe  came  every  morrow, 
And  load  my  humble  soul  with  sorrow. 

No  friends  have  I  to  take  my  part. 

No  man  will  take  me  in  to  toil ; 
Cold  famine's  ice  begirds  that  heart 

Which  once  with  genuine  love  did  boil  ; 

1  want  that  brazen  face  to  borrow  ; 
Nor  can  I  beg  for  bursting  sorrow. 

0  !  lend  an  ear  to  what  I  crave. 
To  me  indulgence  once  be  given  ; 

1  long  to  be  within  my  grave. 

My  heart  in  dust,  my  soul  in  Heaven  ; 
Then  surely  1  would  meet  a  morrow, 
Fraught  with  no  melancholy  sorrow. 

I  never  injured  mortal  man. 

So  far's  I  know,  so  far's  I  think  ; 
Nor  scoffed  fair  Nature's  lovely  plan, 

Yet  bitter  drugs  I'm  doom'd  to  drink  : — 
The  sun  of  Fortune  shines  no  morrow 
On  OrrUs*  bewilder'd  soul  of  sorrow. 

Was  I  on  some  far  savage  isle 

Amid  the  sea,  besouth  the  line. 
There  would  my  gloomy  visage  smile. 

My  heart  to  joy  and  mirth  incline  ; 
For  there  I'd  hail  no  murky  morrow. 
There  death  would  free  my  soul  of  sorrow. 

With  these,  my  hands,  to  ope  this  jail 

And  set  the  growling  culprit  free, 
I  shall  not  dare — but  wretched  trail 

Along  this  path  of  misery  ; 
Far  better  bear  life's  scowling  morrow, 
Than  an  eternity  of  sorrow. 


PUD PUT  389 

PuDDOCKS — Frogs.  Fuddock'PipeSy  a  moss  herb.  Puddock- 
stoolsy  a  kind  of  long-shanked  conical  and  comical  mushroom. 
Puddock-reedy  the  spawn  or  rid  of  frogs ;  what  says  the  auld 
stave — 

Puddock-reed  is  fu'  o*  e'en. 

And  every  e'e's  a  pow-head  ; 
But  Nelly's  twa  beats  them  clean. 

She  is  a  charming  pow-head. 

PuE  o'  Reek — A  little  smoke,  or,  ratherly  the  manner  smoke 
ascends.  "  The  reek's  pueing  up."  "  There's  no  d^pue  o' 
reek  in  a'  the  house."  "  Whar  comes  the  reek  pueing  frae  ?" 
are  phrases  that  I  need  not  explain. 

PuiST-BoDiES — People  in  a  comfortable  way  in  this  world,  or 
ratherly  having  the  wherewithal  to  make  them  so.  Some  are 
puisty  though  not  contented ;  but  we  cannot  be  puist  unless 
we  are  competently  rich ;  we  ought  to  be  pretty  contented, 
though  not  rich.  For  ray  own  part,  I  have  been  as  happy 
without  a  bawbee  in  my  pouchy  as  I  ever  was  with  gawd  in  it. 

Puling,  or  Peuling — ^The  way  of  a  sick  animal ;  it  leaves  its 
comrades,  and  gaes  peuling  about  alone — commonly  applied 
to  cattle.  PeulSy  small  bites  which  sick  oxen  eat  For  these 
bites  nowt  seek  mosses  in  the  spring,  where  peuls  of  green 
grass  first  appear ;  to  get  at  them,  they  frequently  lose  their 
life,  and  are  drowned  ;  also  at  this  season,  they  tumble  down 
heughs  while  ranging  for  these  peuls,  A  herd  must  keep 
a  sharp  look  out  in  the  waur  time, 

PuNSE — To  push  and  strike,  as  with  a  stick ;  to  punse  a  brock  in 
his  lair,  to  push,  or  ratherly  striking  push,  a  badger  in  his 
den. 

PuTT-GUDE — A  man  is  said  to  have  made  his putt-gude,  when  he 
obtains  what  his  ambition  panted  for ;  thus  I  have  got  my 
putt  mside  good  respecting  this  book,  for  all  the  thousand  barrs 
flung  in  its  way.  This  compliment  to  the  land  of  my  home, 
I  intend,  perhaps,  on  some  not  very  far  distant  day,  to 
give,  in  one  large  quarto  volume,  "  The  Scotc/i  Encyclopcediay 


390  PYA  QUA 

or  the  nahiraly  original,  and  antiquated  curiosities  of  Scot- 
land." I  have  much  matter  gathered  for  it ;  and  hope 
every  true  Scotsman  who  loves  his  own  wonderful  countiy, 
will  help  me  with  it,  as  they  think  best,  by  giving  me  hinti, 
and  singular  out-of-the-way  whusherings;  so,  this  work  is  only 
the  harbinger  of  one  of  the  same  stamp,  but  on  a  larger  scale; 
and  I  hope  Heaven  will  permit  me  to  make  my  putt-gude. 

Pyardie — One  of  the  many  names  for  the  bird  Magpie. 

PvDLEs — Cones  made  sometimes  of  rushes  to  catch  fish  with ; 
they  are  set,  "  whar  bums  out  owre  the  lynns  come  i>ouring," 
so  the  trouts,  in  coming  down  the  stream,  mn  into  them,  and 
cannot  make  a  retreat. 

Q- 

QuAK — To  speak  like  a  duck. 

QuAKiNQUAWs — or  QuowSy  or  moving  quagmire  bogs; 
some  fancy  that  Jack  and  the  Lantern,  alias  Will  a*  the 
Wisp,  has  his  habitation  in  the  Quakingquaw,  from  his 
being  generally  seen  in  the  neighbourhood  of  such  places, 
and  from  his  desire  to  conduct  the  midnight  wanderers 
therein ;  it  is  also  imagined  too,  that  they  are  entrances, 
as  it  were,  to  other  strange  worlds,  where  are  ever  myriads 
of  fowk,  such  as  were  seen  in  the  Cariines  d  Caimsmoot. 
When  the  method  of  boring  through  the  soil  of  a  wet  bog 
was  tried,  so  that  the  water  might  sink,  and  find  vent  away 
in  the  rocky  stratas  beneath,  a  poor  superstitious  mortal 
was  standing  by  once,  observing  attentively  how  opera- 
tions went  on,  and  when  he  beheld  what  every  one  present 
did,  that  the  plan  would  not  answer,  he  went  up  to  the 
borers,  and  insisted  on  them  {through  7c>it)  to  go  through 
with  the  borer  into  the  world  below,  and  then  the  waters 
would  follow.  He  was  not  like  a  certain  gentleman,  who 
loved  good  liquor,  as  many  do,  and  who  went  into  an 
agricultural  society  once,  when  draining  land  was  the  order 


QUA QUE  391 

of  the  day ;  there  stood  the  laird,  and  listened  to  one 
speech  after  another,  on  the  benefits  which  would  no  doubt 
result  from  such  and  such  sure  grounded  modes  as  were 
proposed ;  at  length,  getting  weary,  he  exclaimed,  "  For 
God's  sake,  gentlemen,  leave  as  much  water  with  all  your 
drainings  as  will  mix  a  glass  o*  grog;"  which  satire  ren- 
dered all  plans  useless  for  that  day  at  least  My  worthy 
original,  well  known  in  Galloway  by  the  phrase,  "  For 
faith  ye  see  am  saying^^  knew,  amongst  many  other  things, 
like  the  late  mentioned  gentleman,  where  all  the  spring 
wauls  of  note  were  in  the  country,  and  their  names — the 
which  information  he  gave  me  in  the  kindest  manner,  for 
which  I  here,  according  to  the  custom  of  authors,  publicly 
thank  him. 

QuALL — Quell,  settle,  &c. 

QuAT — Quit,  let  alone. 

**  Whan  the  rain  draps  off  the  hat 
**  'Tis  fully  time  for  folk  to  quat, 
**  Wha  on  the  harrest  rig  do  shear 
**  Barley,  wheat,  peas,  rye,  or  beer." 

Auld  say. 

QuAZiE — Disordered  somehow  ;  squeamish,  such  as  after  being 
intoxicated. 

QuEEM — Calm.     Queemly,  calmly.     "  The  gled  glides  qucemly 
alang  ; "  the  kite  glides  smoothly  along. 

**  Dream,  dream,  that  the  Ocean's  queem  ; 

**  Dream,  dream,  that  the  moon  did  beam  ; 

*'  And  the  morning  will  hear  the  waves  roar, 

*'  And  the  sun  through  the  cluds  will  not  find  a  bore." 

Auld  say. 

This  old  concern  always  brings  that  lovely  verse  of  Miss 
Baillie's  into  my  head,  who,  by  the  bye,  is  ratherly  a  Galloway 
lady ;  as  also  Miss  Paton,  the  sweetest  stage-singer  I  ever 
heard — 

**  Up  lady  fair,  and  braid  thy  hair, 
**  And  rouse  thee  in  tlie  breezy  air  ; 
**  The  lulling  stream,  will  aid  thy  dream, 
"  That  glitters  in  the  sunny  beam." 


392  QUI  QUI 

QuiNTON  RuMMLERiRN — A  pretty  fair  Galloway  philosopher 
and  poet,  who  flourished,  according  to  the  book  oi  Doims- 
day,  kept  by  Scoot  HutchiCy  in  the  time  come  fuver^  three 
months  ago.  He  was  a  cronnie  while  he  lived  with  the 
Miller  d  Minnicivc,  and,  I  believe,  married  his  kUlmofCs 
third  daughter — the  one  with  the  buck-teeth.  He  was 
fond  of  drinking  filthy  fluids,  and  his  belly  gave  birth  to 
some  asks  and  man-keepers:  I  do  not  know  that  I  have 
explained  Man-keepers  \  they  are  a  kind  of  nimble  lizard, 
and  run  about  quarry-holes,  in  warm  weather.  It  is  said, 
that  like  the  robin-breestie,  they  are  in  love  with  man, 
hence  their  name,  and  like  that  bird,  no  man  will  hann 
them.  They  are  serpent-looking  creatures,  which  he  kffp 
as  it  were.  Well,  this  Quinton  flashed  about  Tibby  Skarper's 
for  a  few  months,  but  kicked  up  his  heels  at  last  in  AM 
NecTs  antichamber^  after  quafhng  vitriolic  mountcun  dew. 
He  gave  me,  when  living,  the  meanings  of  a  few  rare 
words,  though  I  differ  with  him,  in  some  respects,  as 
to  their  import.  Thus  peelaflee^  he  said,  was  a  creature 
out  of  its  element ;  a  dandy  attempting  to  play  with  men 
at  the  channlestaney  for  the  dandy  looks  as  if  the  wind  had 
him  peeled,  and  that  he  looked  as  if  going  to  fly.  A 
being  much  liker  a  warm  room,  sitting  by  the  hip  of  a 
lisping  lady,  and  a  simmering  trackpot.  Peelaflees  are 
all  those  who  look  better  on  a  street  than  they  do  in  the 
country.  It  is  a  strange  thing  that,  termed  optics ;  how 
full  is  it  of  deception.  I  wonder  those  Brewsters,  and  other 
chaps  who  study  it,  cannot  give  us  something  to  prevent 
our  ien  being  misled.  Thus,  some  ladies  look  well  in 
candle-light,  and  they  all  look  their  best  in  frosty  weather. 
Let  no  man  marry  a  wife  in  the  time  oi  frost,  for  when  a 
thaw  comes,  she  may  disgust  him.  Bullocks  look  best  in 
snow  :  when  cattle  are  transported  from  "  heathy  fells  to 
flowery  dells,"  they  have  quite  a  different  appearance ;  ay, 
ay.     **  Brocks   look   best  catching  bumclocks ; "  situation  is 


QUI  QUI  393 

eveiy  thing.  On  the  fore  ground  of  a  Scotch  dinner,  the 
haggis  should  show  his  hurdles ;  and  on  the  back  the 
whusky  grey-beardy,^^  But  to  Quinton,  as  a  philosopher, 
he  said  /  was  a  fool,  and  he  would  prove  it  as  fair  as  ever 
a  mathematician  proved  Euclid's  fifth  in  first  to  be  Pons 
AssinoruMy  or  the  Asses'  Bridge ;  but  I  said  it  was  needless 
to  prove  what  all  my  acquaintance  knew  to  be  a  y^ ;  and 
that  the  world  would  say  some  day  /  was  a  damned  cinder 
fallow^  one  who  would  do  what  Archimedes  could  not  do 
— make  this  very  earth  tremble  in  her  orbit.  The  old  mill- 
iviighty  and  speckglass-grinder,  said,  if  he  had  a  fulcrum 
he  could  do  this,  as  he  had  a  lever  ready.  Now,  I  have 
found  the  fulcrum,  which  is  my  mighty — I  was  just  going 
to  add  genius,  when  Quinton  struck  me  beneath  the  lug, 
with  a  hazle-rufig,  cut  in  Plunton  wud,  and  laid  me  sprawling 
on  Kirkcubrie's  auld  causey,  just  at  Christafs  Coriur  So 
farewell  to  him  and  his  philosophy.  Let  us  view  him  as  a 
poet,  and  firstly  then — 

MAGARLAA,  THE  INDIAN  CHIEF,  TO  HIS  TORTURING 

FOES. 

At  last  youVe,  by  a  crafty  turn, 

Magarlaa  clutched  all  alone  ; 
Then  fire  feed,  his  nerves  come  bum, 

And  roast  the  flesh  from  off  the  bone. 
Why  be  so  long  with  your  death  song, 
Come,  set  you  to  your  tortures  strong. 

Then  have  you  got  your  pinchers  hot  ? 

So,  where  then  will  ye  go  begin  ? 
My  tongue  is  cold,  'twill  answer  not, 

Fix  on  the  tendons — peel  the  skin  ; 
Fix  on,  and  bum,  my  eyes  out  tum. 
Your  worst  of  torments  I  do  spurn. 

Now  you  begin,  take  time,  take  time. 

And  do  not  let  me  go  too  soon  ; 
Keep  me  down  from  the  cloudy  clime. 

For  soon  I'll  fly  bevond  the  moon : 
Then  back  again,  tho  you  were  fain, 
I  will  not  come  to  bear  again. 


394  QUI  QUI 

The  other  leg  and  arm  then  take, 

For  these  you  bum  I  do  not  feel : 
Come,  bite  me  like  a  rattle-snake. 

And  prick  my  heart  with  burning  steel. 
Now,  now  I  go,  yes,  bravely  so, 
And  back  I  shall  not  come — no,  no  ! 

I  may  give  one  of  his  many  strange  songs,  by  way  of 
concluding — 

My  dearest  Marget,  I  hae  been 

A  tod  to  thee,  a  sad  deceiver ; 
And  this,  my  Marget,  ye  hae  seen. 

Yet  thou  art  kind  to  me  as  ever. 

I  drank  and  courted  ither  queens. 
My  fortune  swell'd  down  pleasure's  river. 

Yet,  tho'  I  squandered  sae  my  means, 
ITiou  ay  wer't  kind  to  me  as  ever. 

Thou  never  said'st,  O  !  Willie,  lad. 

Thou  art  an  unco*  gypsy  shaver  ; 
liut,  ay  wi'  me  wad  seem  fu'  glad. 

And  ay  wer't  kind  to  me  as  ever. 

As  kind's  that  day  when  by  the  bum 
We  sat  and  saw  the  sun-beams  quiver. 

And  up  the  glen  did  take  a  turn ; 
Thou'rt  ay  as  kind  to  me  as  ever. 

Xow,  we  hae  met,  nor  will  we  part, 

O !  Marget,  we  will  never,  never ; 
Our  hearts  now  counteth  ae  warm  heart, 

That  wi'  true  love  will  beat  for  ever. 

QuiRKLUMS — Little  arithmetic  puzzles,  where  the  matter 
hinges  on  a  quirk.  The  peasantry  are  madly  fond  to  have 
their  great  minds  always  employed,  either  at  one  thing  or 
another;  so  they  propose  quirklumSy  as  they  do  rtddlums, 
and  set  one  another  a  thinking  upon  them.  Quirk/urns 
make  them  lay  at  the  thinkings  perhaps,  as  much  as  any 
thing;  and  those  of  a  mathematic  turn,  like  my  friends 
Geordy  Wishart  and  yeatnie  Catg,  are  the  best  at  solving 
them.  These  quirkhims  are  generally  told  in  rhjTue,  and 
many  of  them  are  not  unamusing.  For  fun,  I  may  give  one 
or  two  of  them — 

"  Three  cats  in  a  wunnock  sat, 

**  And  every  cat  had  aside  her  twa ; 
"  How  mony  cats,  now,  to  a  cat, 

**  On  that  wunnock  sole  sat  and  nyurd  awa  ?  *' 

Answer — three. 


QUI  QUI  395 

**  There  are  four  weights,  which  can  be  found, 
**  Which  ought  will  weigh  from  one  to  forty  pound  ; 

**  What  these  weights  are,  to  me  declare, 
**  And  I  shall  say  thou  art  a  genius  rare  ?  " 

Answer — i,  3,  9,  27. 

Being  a  wonderful  Oriental  scholar^  and  quite  up  to  the 
idioms  of  all  the  languages  spoken  in  Asia,  from  Kamschatca 
to  the  Straits  of  Bablemandel ;  as  also  quite  a  proficient 
in  the  slang  spoken  at  the  courts  of  the  Grand  Turk  and 
Great  Mo^ul^  quite  as  much  so  as  of  that  spoken  in  a 
London  Badger  Den^  by  coveSy  corkSy  and  other  **un- 
hang'd  blackguards."  I  met  with  the  other  day,  while 
reading  the  works  of  Hallagree^  the  famed  Persian  poet, 
the  Walter  Scott  of  the  East,  an  arithmetical  guirkle, 
so  set  about  the  translation  instantly,  for  the  benefit  of 
the  curious;  but  thojugh  Van  Bluffberg^  the  celebrated 
Dutch  linguist,  was  at  my  elbow,  we  found  it  no  easy 
matter  to  hold  strictly  by  the  original.  Thus,  however,  we 
made  it — 

Had  our  first  Parents,  when  in  Eden, 

Not  tasted  of  that  fruit  forbidden  ; 

Death  likely,  they  would  ne'er  have  met, 

But  would  been  living  happy  yet  : 

Suppose  this  to  have  been  the  case. 

Alive  yet  all  the  human  race. 

And  that  each  year  (if  not  too  wild. 

Eve  unto  Adam  bore  a  child. 

Alternately  a  son  and  daughter, 

Come,  Fancy,  be  not  beat  with  laughter), 

And  that  those  children  did  again 

Sweet  beings  free  from  grief  and  pain. 

Remorse,  so  grim,  and  fractious  rage. 

When  they  were  twenty  years  of  age 

Breti,  like  their  parents,  happy  creatures, 

Love  smiling  fine  through  all  their  features, 

TheMi  bred  again,  contented  souls 

And  filled  the  earth  between  the  Poles  ; 

Sae  ye,  my  friends,  who  are  expert 

At  calculation's  mystic  art, 

That  art  which  has  the  darling  tongue 

For  telling  what  is  right  from  wrong, 

I  low  many  of  us,  to  a  man, 

Woukl  here  been  now,  and  such  the  plan, 

I  know  there  are  can  say  in  learned  hhpahan  '! 


396  QUI  RAE 

The  answer  to  this,   for    the  present,  I    keep    to    my- 
self. 

The  unassuming  do  the  job. 

The  assuming  take  the  praise. 
By  what  they  do  from  merit  rob. 

Themselves  to  £ame  they  raise. 

Hint  by  my  sell. 


R. 

Racket  —  A  disorder  in  an  assembly  of  person^  "  A 
rcuket  rase,  and  wha  to  get  out  soonest."  The  sooner  out 
of  a  smoky  house  the  better.  "I  heard  an  unco  r€uket  ;^ 
"  I  heard  the  sound  of  a  raw"  Some  are  good  at  raising 
a  racket  amongst  social  friends ;  such  (as  the  great  preacher 
saith)  should  be  ^'kicked  over  the  walls  of  creation  into 
infinite  space." 

Raelings — Ravelings.  ''  Boys  rael  out  auld  hoshens  to  make 
hand  baws." 

Raem — Cream.  Raeming  caupy  a  wooden  milk-skimmer; 
raem-jug,  a  cream-mug.  Some  girls  in  the  country,  in 
order  to  keep  youth  in  the  face  as  long  as  possible,  have  a 
mixture  of  sour  cream  and  the  sap  of  boghcan^  or  trefoil, 
made  up  in  a  mug,  to  wash  their  faces  with,  in  dark  times 
convenient  This  raem-jug  they  keep  in  the  most  secret 
nuik  of  the  house,  on  the  back  skelf  of  some  auld  aumry, 
for  they  consider,  were  it  found,  they  would  be  blown  for 
ever,  and  never  get  a  man ;  but,  as  the  poet  finely  sa}^ 
Darwin,  I  think — 

In  vain,  poor  nymph,  to  please  our  youthful  sight. 
You  sleep  in  cream  and  frontlets  all  the  night ; 
Perfume  with  roses,  and  with  paint  repair. 
Dress  with  gay  gowns,  and  shade  with  foreign  hair. 
If  truth,  in  spite  of  manners,  must  be  told, 
\Vhy,  really,  fifty-five  is  something  old. 


RAE  RAE  397 

And  Matthetv  Prior  too,  the  son  of  Adam  and  oi  Eve, 
on  this  subject  poetizes  beautifully — 

How  old  may  Phillis  be,  you  ask 
Whose  beauty  thus  all  hearts  engages  ; 

To  answer  is  no  easy  task. 
For  she  has  really  two  ages. 

Stiff  in  brocade,  and  pinched  in  stays. 

Her  patches,  paint,  and  Jewels  on  ; 
All  day  let  envy  view  her  face, 

And  Phillis  is  but  twenty^one. 

Paint,  patches,  jewels  laid  aside. 

At  night  astronomers  agree. 
The  evening  has  the  day  belied. 

And  Phillis  is  some  forty'three. 

Raens — Ravens.  Raeti-nest-heuch^  the  steepest  precipice  gen- 
erally among  precipices.  Then  the  carrgatCy  the  way  or  road 
on  steep  rocks,  Ravens,  like  eagles,  build  not  only  on 
cliffs,  but  on  the  crag  of  the  cliff  as  the  book  of  Job  hath  it. 
Here  may  follow  an  oddity,  struck  off  many  a  year  ago. 
Elegy  on  the  Death  ^  apuir  Pet  Corbie — He  wandered 
from  home  one  day  away  by  the  Ncthcrlaw^  and  having  fallen 
in  with  the  coat  of  mine  auld  crusty  herd,  Davie  Maben^  he 
turned  inside  out  the  pockets  of  the  same  ;  and  while  in  the 
act  of  making  off  with  DaiuvicPs  Spietic/taUy  he  was  set  upon  by 
the  herd's  collie-dog^  and  the  attack  being  followed  by  the 
herd  himself  with  a  stick,  they  succeeded  in  ending  the  life 
of  my  pet  corbie — 

Ha  !  low  puir  fallow  now  ye  be 

Wi'  striffan  white  drawn  ower  thy  e'e. 

Food  for  the  nuiwk  and  mawking  flee, 

Death  can  out-trick  ye  ; 
Auld  Dawvid  cnd'd  thee  o'  thy  glee 

Wi's  dog  and  clicky. 

What  notion  gard  ye  croak  awa 
Sae  far's  the  rosseny  Netherlaw  ; 
I'm  sure  your  errand  there  was  sma* 

We  maun  ye  blame  ; 
Thou'st  been,  I  doubt,  like  monv  a  wha, 

Owre  het  ahame. 


39S  RAE  RAE 

My  glossy  chiel,  I'm  wae  to  think 
Thou  now  can'st  only  rot  and  stink. 
For  wecl  I  lo'ed  to  see  thee  jink 

And  hap  about  me  ; 
O  !  tho*  ye  were  an  unco  slink, 

Tm  sad  without  ye. 

Whan  I  was  e*er  through  passion,  folly. 
Borne  down  wi'  wretched  melancholy. 
He'd  catch  the  whusking  tail  o'  collie. 

And  queerly  swung  ; 
Sae  than  I  soon  was  laughing  jolly, 

And  blytUy  sung. 

Whanere  I  gaed  to  count  the  sheep 
Amang  the  hills  and  hags  sae  steep, 
A  swooming  then  he  gaed  to  peep 

About  the  farm ; 
And  or  I  kend  adown  wad  sweep 

Upon  my  arm. 

There  wad  he  sit,  and  cok  fu'  snug. 
There  rike  his  neb  up  to  my  lug, 
And  talk  awa  his  urum  if^. 

To  me  unknown ; 
Then,  maybe,  gi'en  my  hair  a  tug. 

Syne  aff  wad  flowii. 

In  wimter  or  a  storm  o*  snaw, 
Or  rain  down  on  the  yird  wad  fa* 
Afore  the  wun  began  to  blaw. 

Or  tempest  blatter, 
Upon  the  hill  he  it  wad  jaw 

Wi  potent  clatter. 

And  whan  it  just  was  gaen  to  flog 
Our  naked  land,  and  houses  shog. 
How  angry  did  he  hotch  and  stog, 

And  croak  about. 
Owretuming  stanes,  and  riving  fog 

Wi'  his  strong  snout. 

Yea,  at  the  warst,  whan  it  bid  dash. 
And  pinging  brutes  without  did  lash, 
While  meikle  trees  fell  wi'  a  crash, 

Mine  hardy  cheel 
To  seek  a  shelter  ne'er  wad  fash, 

He  scorn'd  a  beel. 

Wi'  some  wild  spirit  o'  the  blast 
He  seem'd  to  janner  thick  and  fast. 
Yet  shrinked  not,  nor  stood  aghast 

Wi'  tottering  spawls ; 
But,  like  a  chieftain,  to  the  last 

Withstood  its  brawls. 


RAE  RAE  399 

In  every  clime  the  Ra'en  is  seen, 

On  every  shore  where  man  hath  been, 

On  moimtains,  be  they  white  or  green, 

Ice,  or  black-rock, 
There  he  can  find  a  hame,  I  ween, 

And  cheerfu'  croak. 

Tho*  Arctic  wanderers  do  crack 

Whan  they  frae  Baffin's  Bay  come  back. 

That  there  he  doffs  his  doolfu'  black 

For  robes  o'  white  ; 
To  look  mair  like  that  dismal  track, 

He  fills  his  kyte. 

Nae  doubts  the  Pole  he  aft  hath  seen. 
Through  Beerhing's  Straits  hath  aften  been. 
And  flung  our  navigators  clean 

To  leeward,  o  ; 
Ay,  da^^Tier'd  too,  wi'  liedoween 

To  Tombuctoo. 

The  eaglets  ca'd  the  burd  o'  Jove 
Because  he  hie  in  lift  doth  rove  ; 
The  dove,  dear  Cupid's,  for  its  love 

And  happy  cooing, 
'Mang  sillar-firs,  in  sunny  grove, 

Sae  sweetly  wooing. 

But  the  corbie,  and  'tis  odd, 
Belanged  to  nae  Heathen  god, 
I'hc  de'il  a  ane  gaed  him  a  nod 

While  passing  by  ; 
As  he  sat  on  his  blighted  sod, 

Or  peak  sae  high. 

Altho'  a  burd  as  Iwnny's  ony, 

Wi'  pranks  baith  tragical  and  funny. 

Belike  my  grave  and  merry  cronnie, 

Alas  !  no  more  ; 
Wha  tummling-flew,  whan  it  was  sunny, 

Roun'  heugh  and  shore, 

Indeed  o'  a'  the  burds  that  lide, 
TTie  air,  or  ocean's  jabbling  tide. 
There's  nane  seems  to  enjoy  the  ride 

On  wings  like  he, 
But  only  mark  wi'  what  a  pride 

He  whiles  will  flee. 

TTie  dark  brown  tap  o'  some  big  hill 
He  centers,  then  around  will  sweill. 
And  after  he  has  ta'en  his  fill 

O'  this  high  pleasure, 
Away  he  scents,  wi*  mighty  skill. 

Some  cabroch  treasure. 


400  RAE RAE 

And  when  he  fins  a  sheep  &'en  aval, 
Her  trolly-bags  he  can  unravel ; 
The  corby-cravrs  and  him  will  cava!. 

Ay,  worry  owre  her  ; 
The  e'en  out  o*  her  head  theyil  naval, 

And  sae  devour  her. 


But  ah  !  my  pet  will  never  more 
Flee  curving  roun*  the  hill  or  shore, 
Nor  see  again  his  weel  stufTd  store, 

Whar  mony  a  button 
And  spleuchan  lies,  wi'  joints  galore 

O'  beef  and  mutton. 

His  horde  frae  me  gat  mony  a  knife, 
For  a'  I  never  hurt  his  life  ; 
O*  robberies  his  days  >**ar  rife, 

Yet  what  the  matter 
I  ne'er  at  him  did  boil  wi'  strife, 

Clod'-stanes  and  batter. 

Though  1  ha'e  seen  my  mither  whiles 
Pay  strict  attention  to  his  wiles. 
About  the  bam,  the  stacks,  and  styles, 

Wi'  chicken  burdies. 
And  treating  him  wi'  nae  sweet  smiles, 

Nor  bonny  wordies. 

I  saw  his  nature  joy'd  doing  ill. 
His  glory  was  to  rive  and  kill  ; 
Pu'  puddings  out,  and  warm  blude  spill. 

Completely  savage ; 
O !  but  he  joined  wi'  right  gude  will, 

A  wild  culravage. 

At  ev'ry  stack  we  meand  to  house. 
There  with  the  currs  he  happed  crouse ; 
And  whan  outspouted  e'er  a  mouse 

Frae  'mang  the  grain. 
Despite  o'  tykes  or  fuffing  puss, 

That  was  his  ain. 

He  made  its  tender  ribs  play  crack, 
His  homy  lips  round  it  wad  smack; 
Sae  gullied  her  a  dainty  chack 

Without  a  glutt ; 
Then  glowr'd  and  glented  round  the  stack 

For  mair  tae  gutt. 

Whan  boys  rave  out  the  sparrow's  nest, 
Wi'  young  goits  therein  gorling  dressed. 
He  soon  did  set  their  tongues  at  rest. 

The  chirping  choked  ; 
Then  leas'd  them  in  his  stamack  chest. 

And  never  boked. 


RAE  RAE  401 

The  beggar  bairns  wi'  naked  feet 
He  aften  caused  to  sab  and  greet. 
Whan  him  and  them  wad  chance  to  meet ; 

He  gard  them  squeel ; 
Wi'  him  it  was  a  noble  treat 

To  nip  the  heel. 

How  mony  chuckies  brawly  tappit 
He  tum'd  a  comer  on  and  snappit ; 
What  yal!ow  gaizlings,  heads  he  crappit 

About  the  dub ; 
And  even  auld  ducks  he  roughly  graipet, 

The  pawkie  scrub. 

But  yet,  altho'  the  hellish  knave 
Did  thus  sae  aften  ill  behave. 
When  a*  condemned  him,  I  wad  save 

Wi'  great  ado. 
Strong  oratory  I  had  to  brave 

To  bring  him  through. 

Like  Barrington,  and  Captain  Blood, 
My  noble  culprit  bravely  stood 
Owre  high  in  crime  for  gallows  food 

The  famous  loon  ; 
Wi'  me  he  had  a  life  fu*  good. 

For  mony  a  moon. 

O,  bards  may  sing,  and  priests  may  pray, 
True  de*ils  will  wi'  their  daddv  stay  ; 
Frae  hell  they  scorn  to  steer  tneir  way. 

Wi'  vice  they  anchor, 
And  prie  the  smirking  lady  gay 

And  faeming  tankor. 

Upon  the  braid  claise-drying  thorn. 
What  sarks  war  by  the  Corby  torn. 
How  aft  the  lasses  on  a  mom 

Wi'  him  had  scuffles  ; 
And  oh,  how  some  o'em  wad  hae  sworn 

About  their  ruffles. 

**  My  cambric  mutch  I  mean'd  to  crimp, 
**  That  was  trimm'd  bonnily  wi*  gimp  : 
**  My  spencer,  too,  whilk  made  me  jimp," 

(I^ud  ane  o'em  soun^) 
•*  Is  by  that  curse  which  there  doth  limp 

**  Tom  a'  in  roens. 

**  And  here's  my  tippet,"  Meg  wad  rair, 
**  Wi'  whilk  I  mean  d  to  gang  tae  fair, 
**  Just  like  your  braws,  a'  here  and  there, 

•*In  swatches  scalter'd  ; 
•*  See  to  them  lying  every  where, 

••Ari'enandtatter'd." 
2  C 


403  RAE  RAE 


My  &ther  maistly  did  incline 

To  join  his  voice  for  him  wi'  mine ; 

'*  Some  things,"  he  said,  *'  there  were  divine, 

"  And  high  about  him  ; 
"  Ye,  tho'  he  whiles  on  lammies  dine, 

"  I  will  not  shoot  him.'* 


"  They  war  his  ancestors,  wha  took 
"  Food  to  Eliiah  by  the  brook, 
"  As  mention  d  in  the  holy  book  ; 

*•  By  orders  gi'en, 
*'  For  whilk  the  prophet  blvthe  did  look, 

*'  Baith  mom  and  e'en. 


»• 


'*  And  Noah,  too,  whan  in  the  ark, 
**  That  unco  meikle  floating  hark, 
"  Sent  out  a  corby,  to  remark 

'*  Dry  land  again  ; 
*'  Wha  glowr'd  lai^  for  a  tree  or  park; 

"Or  he  faun  anc." 

*'  Sae  agents  o'  Heaven's  mighty  king, 
'*  We  maunna  by  the  thrappTe  swing, 
**  Nor  lift  a  stane,  and  gie  t  a  fling 

**  At  them  wi*  might, 
"  For  fear  we  may  oursells  gae  sling 

"To  hell's  grim  knighL' 

*'  Its  lang  since  Scotchmen  heard  the  note 
"  Or  proverb,  ne'er  to  be  foigot, 
**  That  corbies  are  a  JHt//e  sAof, 

**  Like  clergymen  ; 
'*  Misfortune  gets  that  meddling  sot 

"Whadisnaken." 

But  pooh  ! — What  flummery's  this  I  blaw, 
About  the  auld  daez'd  corby  craw  ? 
It  is  na  like  mysell  ava, 

A  mighty  poet ! 
To  fyke  wi'  sic  a  theme  sae  sma'. 

Right  owrboard  throw  it. 

A  mighty  poet !  hear  him,  hear  him, 

A  mighty  blockhead.  Heaven  be  near  him, 

Some  critic  worricow,  come  fear  him ; 

And  whan  he  flinches, 
Damnation,  like  the  Ra'en,  gae  tae  tear  him 

Ay,  a'  in  inches. 

O,  wee,  wee  man,  mind  trivial  things. 

The  silly  bardy  silly  sings, 

He'll  vaunt  about  his  fancy's  wings. 

And  how  they  flutter ; 
But  when  on  them  he  upward  springs. 

He  lights  I'e  gutter. 


RAE  RAN  403 

The  welkin's  high  aboon  our  head, 

And  higher  far  souls  o'  the  dead  ; 

What  is  this  earth,  we're  doomed  to  tread  ? 

And  what  are  we  ? 
Bewilder*d  cormorants  indeed, 

In  a  wild  sea. 

Our  deepest  thoughts  are  shallows  slim, 
The  brightest  eye  is  woefii'  dim  ; 
Our  logic  sound — perhaps  a  whim — 

For  who  can  tell 
When  that  we  dive  we  only  swim 

Like  corkwud  speall  ? 

Then  let  the  sage  gae  brownly  think. 
And  courtiers  at  crimes  gae  wink  ; 
Let  rustic  bards  sing  on  and  drink 

'Bout  Joan  and  Derby, 
rU  lean  me  owre,^  and  mourn  a  blink 

About  my  Corbie. 

Raffing  Fallows — Ranting,  roaring,  drinking  fellows. 

Ragabash — A  ragged  crew  of  unmannerly  people. 

Ragging — Com  is  said  to  be  a  m^>/^when  it  is  a  putting  the 
first  time  through  the  fanSy  or  winnowing  machine.  When 
this  is  done  it  is  raggedy  cleaned  of  its  rags  and  roughness  ; 
also  com  is  said  to  be  beginning  to  ragg\i\itxi  the  grain-head 
first  appears  out  of  the  shotblade;  com  first  raggs  which  grows 
on  the  sides  of  riggs^  by  the  furbraWy  and  if  none  ragged  be 
seen  before  Kelton-hill  Fair,  it  is  a  symptom  there  is  going  to 
be  a  late  harrest  that  year. 

Rairding — Ice  is  said  to  be  rairdingy  when  it  is  cracking  from 
some  cause ;  in  the  time  of  a  very  hard  frost,  lochs  are  heard 
to  rair  of  their  own  accord. 

Rais'd — An  animal  looks  raised  when  its  temper  is  up.  To 
raise  any  one,  is  to  stir  or  rouse  the  passions. 

Ram-horn  Spoons — Large  spoons,  made  of  the  homs  of  rams. 

Ramp — ^A  creature  is  ramp  that  is  rompish  inclined ;  a  ramp 
smelly  a  strong  smell,  the  smell  of  a  he-goat  RampSy  wild 
leeks,  common  on  shores. 

Rannle-tree — A  bar  of  wood  or  iron  fixed  in  chimnies,  to  fvn 
the  crook  to,  for  the  piupose  oi  suspending  pots  over  the  fire : 


404  RAN  RAU 

amongst  the  many  amusements  of  the  ingle  ring^  one  is,  idio 
shall  say  a  certain  saying  quickest,  without  going  wrong.  In 
one  of  these,  mention  is  made  of  the  rannle-trre.  "  The  cat 
ran  up  the  ran  file-tree  wi'  a  lump  o'  raw  red  liver  in  its  teeth." 
For  fun,  I  may  give  more  of  these  sayings.  The  peasant's 
cottage  is  indeed  a  den  of  curiosity.  "  Briskly  reeks  Rab 
I^ogan's  lum,"  and  retrograde  again.  "Rab  Logan's  lum 
reeks  briskly ; "  another,  "  I  can  count  the  cuts  and  the  cuts 
count  me  ; "  then  to  the  sia^  and  the  thisselSy  and  who  shall 
say  criffles  clear  oftenest,  without  drawing  breath. 

Rap  and  Stow — A  phrase  meaning  root  and  branch. 

Rashes — Rushes ;  "  as  straught's  a  rash  " — straight  as  a  rush. 
Straight  people  are  likened  to  a  rush  commonly.  Raskbuss, 
a  bush  of  rushes ;  rash-whups,  rash-bonnetSy  rash-pyddies^  are 
whips,  caps,  and  fish-wears,  made  of  rushes :  rash  also  means 
a  fall  of  rain,  attended  with  wind;  "hear  to  the  rain  rashing," 
hear  to  it  dashing.  "  The  spuings  came  rashing  frae  him," 
means,  he  vomited  freely. 

Ratton — A  rat.  Ratton-fa\  a  rat  trap;  ratton-fliiting,  a 
flitting  of  rats.  Sometimes  these  animals,  for  causes  known 
to  themselves,  leave  one  haunt  where  they  have  fed  well 
a  long  time,  and  go  to  another.  Many  have  met  them 
thus  removing,  and  leading  the  old  blind  ones  with  a  straw, 
which  passed  between  mouths  like  a  kissing-string.  What 
instinct  is  this  ?  Those  Percy  Anecdote  folks  should  have 
heard  of  the  matter.  People  do  not  like  the  rats  to  dis- 
appear thus  on  a  sudden,  as  the  thing  is  thought  to  portend 
nothing  good,  and  sailors  will  leave  their  ships  if  they  observe 
the  rats  quit  them. 

Rattrum — A  confused  mass  of  words,  the  language  of  a 
rattle-scull,  as  it  flows  from  them  the  words  "  in  dizzens  and 
raws." 

Raucked — Marked  as  with  a  nail.  JRaucking,  the  noise  a 
nail  makes  writing  on  a  slate ;  it  touches  the  nerves.     "  A 


RAU  REE  405 

cat  raucktng  on  a  beden,"  was  one  of  three  things  mine 
obstinate  Laird  Coutart  could  not  endure;  the  other  two 
were,  a  ^^ priest  preaching  wV  specks  ofiy"  and  a  **  wee  Boat 
drawing  a  big  ane^ 

Raullion,  or  Rullion — A  rough  ill-made  animal. 

Raultree,  or  Raeltree — A  long  piece  of  strong  wood^  which 
is  placed  across  byres^  to  put  the  ends  of  cow-stakes  in..  The 
one  the  foot  of  the  stake  jests  in,  is  the  realtreefit,  the  other 
the  realtree  hecul. 

Rawly — Not  ripe.    Rawly  chcel,  a  young  lad. 

Raw-weather — Cold  wet  weather;  this  is  much  disliked  by 
rural  hinds. 

There's  mony  a  thing  we  dinna  like, 

But  we  maun  wi'  them  just  put  up  ; 
For,  wha  the  de'il  cares  what  we  like, 

Or  how  we  feel,  or  how  we  sup  ? 

We  dinna  like  the  weather  raw, 

The  dawding  win\  the  blashing  rain, 
Nor  sleety  showers  frae  the  nor-wast, 

And  o'  the  snaw  we  are  na  lain. 

Weel  aff  are  they  aneath  the  mools, 

They  never  fin'  the  caul  ava, 
But  in  their  lanely  narrow  beds 

Do  snugly  doze  and  rot  awa. 

The  frost  may  bite,  the  hail  may  nip, 

llie  rain  may  steep  us  to  the  skin. 
But  thae  aneath  the  auld  green  truflfs 

The  waes  o'  weather  never. fin*. 

"  Raw-dawds  make  strong  lads^  as  the  saying  is ;  that  is, 
•pieces^  viz.  whangs  o'  bread  and  cheese ;  or  a  piea  spread  wi' 
the  gude-wife's  thumbs  of  the  kirnbannock,  tastes  ay  weel  in 
the  gabs  o*  stirrahs,"  quoth  Meg  Murdoch. 

Redearly — Grain  that  has  got  a  heat  on  sometime  or  other, 
either  when  the  "  stack  took  a  wee  lue,"  or  in  the  mushoch. 

Ree — A  round  sheep-fold,  where  sheep  are  put  into  on 
snowy  nights,  to  hinder  the  snow  to  ree^  or  wreath  them  up  ; 


4o6  REE  RIC 

as  the  wind,  by  whirling  round  this  circle,  lets  the  snow 
not  wreath  in  it.  Ree^  is  often  confounded  with  ht^U 
but  a  sheep-ree  and  a  sheep-bughi^  are  different ;  a  bugki  is  a 
little  bight  to  catch  sheep  in,  no  matter  what  be  its  figure. 
To  ree  grain,  is  to  whirl  it  through  a  riddle,  so  that  the 
tares  in  it  may  be  seen ;  this  ree  then,  and  the  other  ree^  are 
one ;  we  say  rees  d  snaWy  for  wreaths  of  snow,  and  whiles 
wrides  ;  let  this  word  ree  then,  be  properly  understood  ;  but 
there  is  another  ree^  with  which  it  seems  to  claim  no  kindred. 
When  a  man  is  rammagedy  that  is,  raised^  cras^d^  or  damaged 
with  drinky  we  say  that  man  looks  ree;  he  looks  mad  and 
flushed.  A  poet  too,  in  a  wild  phrenzy,  with  fancy  flashing 
from  earth  to  heaven,  and  from  thence  to  hell,  looketh 
ree.  Poets  are  generally  drawn  this  way,  by  artists.  In 
truth,  Byron  always  looks  in  a  print  shop  as  if  he  saw 
the  devil ;  why,  ye  draughtsmen,  make  all  the  sons  of  genius 
look  like  fools  ?  it  is  nonsense. 

For  Bob,  I  will  invert  your  role, 

And  so  by  proving  plainly  show  it. 
That  if  a  poet  be  a  fool. 

Sure  every  fool  is  not  a  poet 

Prior, 

Reepan — A  low-made  wretch,  a  talepyet 

Reestie — A  horse  is  reestie  when  it  stands  fast,  and  will  not 
move  for  the  whip,  but  is  rather  inclined  to  go  backwards ; 
restedy  to  be  arrested. 

Reezie — A  horse  is  reezie  when  he  is  inclined  to  whisk  his  tail, 
so  that  the  hair  thereof,  in  swiftly  going  through  the  air, 
causeth  a  whistling  sound,  and  plunge,  so  that  a  bad 
horseman  like  myself,  sits  in  jeopardy. 

Rheumatiz — Rheumatics. 

RiCKETV-DicKETY — A  toy  made  of  wood,  for  children. 

Rickle — A  piece  of  bad  building ;  a  cairn  of  stones.  A  rkkle 
d  banety  a  skeleton,  a  lean  man  ;  a  bad  stone  builder  is 
called  a  rickler. 


RID  RID  407 

RiDDLUMS — Riddles,  sometimes  called  guesses ;  some  of 
the  riddles  of  the  peasantry  are  worth  a  laugh,  so  I  will 
not  pass  them  over ;  they  have  a  peculiar  nature  of  their 
own,  and  a  rural  riddle  is  at  once  known  from  one  of  foreign 
manufacture.  Riddkims  and  quirklums  are  in  some  instances 
like  other.  As  a  farmer  asked  another  ''  how  many  shearers 
he  had  in  his  banwun  f "  the  other  answered,  "  I  hae  one 
hundred  and  twenty  bansmen,  sae  ye  may  guess  frae  that ; '' 
well,  as  a  bandsman  generally  binds  to  five  shearers,  the  in- 
quirer began  his  calculation  by  multiplying  the  120  by  5 ; 
when  he  had  done,  "  Bless  me,  (quoth  he)  hae  ytsaxhunner 
shearers?" — "Na,  na,  (said  the  other)  ye  hae  counted 
yourself  out  of  it ;  I  have  just  what  I  said,  one  hundred 
shearers^  and  twenty  bandsmen  :  but  because  I  didna  make  a 
wee  stop,  after  saying  the  hunner,  ye  took  me  up  wrang." 
This  one  is  just  like  that  ball,  with  the  three-score-and-three 
fiddlers  at  it,  each  fiddler  having  twenty  dancers,  how  many 
dancers  were  there  ? — 


"  Bonny  Kitty  Brawnie  she  stands  at  the  wa', 

"  Gie  her  meikle,  gie  her  little,  she  licks  up  a', 

*'  Gie  her  stanes,  she'll  no  eat  them,  and  water  she'll  dee. 

"  Come  tell  me  that  bonny  riddlum  to  me." 

This  is  a  favourite  Scotch  riddle,  meaning  the  jSr^. 

As  I  cam  owre  Lonon  Brig, 

I   met  wi*  Geordy  Caning^ 
I  took  aflf  his  head  and  drank  his  bluid, 

And  left  his  body  staning. 

A  bottle  ofalf. 

Come  tell  me  wha  was  that  sannie, 

Wha  was  got  afore  his  father, 
Wha  was  bom  afore  his  mither, 

And  wha  took  the  maidenhead  o'  his  granny. 

Answer — Abel ;  for  his  father  was  not  begot y  nor  his  mother 
born ;  his  grandmother  was  the  earth,  he  was  the  first  who 
was  bedded  in  it;  as  Eve  was  his  mother,  a  piece  of  frail 
earth  also. 


4o8  RID  RID 

*'  As  I  stood  on  yon  castle  wa' 

*'  I  saw  the  dead  carrying  the  quick  awa." 

Answer     a  iaat. 

**  What  ^ngs  through  the  wood  what  it  can  flee, 
**  And  never  touclies  a  single  tree  ?  " 

Answer — a  cry. 

The  expression  in  this  riddle,  of  going  what  it  can  fly, 
belongs  purely  to  Galloway.  "  If  I  gang  tae  'town  the  day 
ril  ride*'  is  a  phrase  often  flung  in  the  teeth  of  the  natives, 
by  those  of  other  districts,  as  extremely  vulgar^  but  it  is  not 
so ;  for  you  may  go,  which  is  ganging  any  way  you  will ;  you 
may  either  riding  go,  flying  go^  swimming  go,  the  giammar  is 
good :  when  "  heard  ye  any  news  ?"  is  asked,  the  answer 
is  frequently — "  No,  I  heard  na  as  meikle  as  ae  auld  wife 
dinging  owre  anither;"  and  when  to  alarm  a  party.  With  saymg 
to  them  "  did  ye  hear  yon  awfu'  news  the  day  ?  "  when  n^  is 
replied,  with  much  trepidation ;  the  answer  is  made,  "  why  I 
heard  to-day  that  a  man  had  ta'en  the  levelling  o'  Ceumhattii, 
and  that  twaul  mile  square  o'  the  sea  has  been  brunt  ayont 
the  Isle  o'  Man."  But  where  do  I  ramble  ?  Was  I  to  note 
down  all  the  sports  I  have  heard  in  my  native  country,  a 
book  as  large  as  Noah's  Ark  would  hardly  hold  them  ;  of 
riddiums  then,  I  take  my  leave,  by  proposing  a  popular  one, 
which  may  be  answered  as  thought  best : — 

"  What  is  it,  that  is  skinless  bom, 

**  And  whilk  doth  wingless  fly, 
**  To  death  a  rairing  it  doth  go, 

**  Perfuming  earth  and  sky  !  " 

Riding  for  the  Broes — This  scene  has  been  some- 
what touched  by  other  rustic  writers,  so  I  briefly  say, 
"  That  it  is  a  ride  on  horseback  by  the  wadding  fmok  at- 
tending a  bridegroom  to  the  brid's  house ;  he  who  has 
the  swiftest  horse  wins  the  broes^  or  a  cog  of  good  broth 
made  for  the  occasion."  It  may  well  be  fancied  then,  that 
this  is  a  horse  race,  worth  all  those,  for  good  fun,  that 
ever  were  run  at  Newmarket  A  gourmand  Moor-farmer 
once  gained  the  broes,  so  long  before  his  rivals  came,  that 


RID  RIN  409 

he  had  the  whole  cog-full  lapped  into  his  kyte ;  when  they 
came  up,  he  was  just  at  the  heels  o't,  after  which  he.  gave  it  to 
his  collie  to  lick  the  lagging. 

Riding    the    Beetle — Those  who  are  on  foot,   or  shanks 

naigie,  with  a  party  on  horseback,  are  said  to  be  riding  the 

beetle. 

**  War  ye  at  the  fair,  saw  ye  mony  people, 
**  Saw  ye  our  gude  man  riding  on  the  beetle  I " 

Auld  sang. 

Riding  the  Stang — A  public  punishment,  inflicted  on  adulter- 
ers and  fornicators.  A  large  pole  is  got,  and  passed  between 
the  culprit's  legs ;  he  is  then  carried  and  cudgelled  through 
clauchansy  to  the  laugh  and  scorn  of  the  mob.  If  the  guilty 
man  is  married,  and  hath  been  leaving  his  wife  and  debauch- 
ing young  girls,  he  is  then  carried  by  men,  the  ends  of  the 
pole  are  manned  with  males;  but  if  he  hath  been  caught 
with  another  man's  wife,  females  bear  him  forth;  if  he  be  un- 
married, and  hath  been  toying  with  men's  wives,  yoimg  men 
carry  him,  and  so  forth ;  it  is  a  very  severe  punishment,  but 
perhaps  not  so  bad  as  the  crime. 

Rig-adown  Daisy — At  weddings,  anciently  the  waddin  faivk 
danced  a  great  deal  on  the  grass,  before  they  went  into 
barns ;  this  fun  was  termed  rig-adown  daisy, 

RiGG  and  Furr — Land  is  said  to  be  divided  into  rig  and  fur^ 
when  parcelled  into  ridges,  by  furrows ;  some  kinds  of  hose 
are  called  rig  and  furr, 

RiGLiNG — A  ram  with  one  stone  in  the  scrotum,  the  other  is 
about  the  parts  of  the  back,  and  sometimes  not  at  all ;  this 
is  an  animal  between  the  tip  and  dumchaser, 

Rhyne — Hoar  frost 

Ringing  Black  Frost — A  very  severe  frost  when  the 
ground  keeps  blacky  and  seems  to  ring  when  struck ;  this 
is  the  season  for  c/tannling  or  playing  at  the  channlestone ; 
few  stars  stud  the  lift  at  this  season ;    the  moon   has  a 


4IO  RIN  ROB 

brass  &ce  on,  and  a  dark-brown  haze  hangs  round   the 
horizon. 

RiNNER — A  little  brook;  also,  butter  melted  with  tar,  for 
sheep-smearing, 

RiNNiNGS — Ulcers,  which  are  the  fountains  of  running  matter. 

RiNS  o'  Gallowa — ^The  borders,  roons^  or  selvages  of  Gallo- 
way. The  rilings  or  ravelings,  or  rugged  margins  of  the 
country. 

RippET — ^A  bitter-tempered,  chattering  creature. 

RippLEGiRSE — A  broad-leaved  herb,  which  labourers  put  on 
cuts. 

RiSRiSH  Lan' — Land  of  a  wet  and  boggy  nature ;  the  plough 
rairs  and  risks  in  it  when  ploughing. 

RizzLES — A  species  of  berry;  sometimes  they  are  called 
russles. 

RizzLiNG — Any  thing  such  as  straw,  is  said  to  be  rizzling^  when 
it  is  free  of  moisture,  quite  dry,  rustling. 

Robbin-a-Ree — A  game  of  the  ingle-nuik^  much  like  the  preest- 
cat;  only  in  passing  the  brunt-stick  round  the  ring,  the 
following  rhyme  is  said : — 

•*  Robin-a*Ree,  ye'll  no  dee  wi*  me, 

**  Tho*  I  birl  ye  roun'  a  three-times  and  three, 

•*0  Robin-a-Ree,  O  Robin-a-Ree, 

**  O  dinna  let  Robin-a-Reerie  dee." 

I  have  been  somewhat  pestered  to  know  who  or  what  this 
Rohin-a-Ree  was.  The  old  song  here  brings  him  before  us  in 
another  shape. 

I  dinna  like  the  Meg  o*  mony  feet, 

Nor  the  braumet  Connochworm, 
Quoth  Mary  Lee,  as  she  sat  and  did  greet, 

A  dawding  wi'  the  storm  ; 
Nowther  like  I  the  vallow-wym'd-ask, 

'Neath  the  root  o  yon  aik  tree. 
Nor  the  hairy  adders  on  the  fog  that  bask, 

But  waur  I  like  Robin-a-Ree. 


ROB ROB  411 

O  !  hatefd'  it's  to  hear  the  whnt-thioat  chark, 

Frae  out  the  aald  TafTdyke, 
And  wha  likes  the  e'ening  singing  lark. 

And  the  anld  moon  boughi^  tyke  ; 
O  !  I  hate  them,  and  the  ghaist  ateen, 

Ne*er  the  den  o*  pair  Mary  Lee, 
But  ten  times  waur  loe  I,  I  ween. 

That  vile  cheel  Robin-a-Ree. 

O  !  sourer  than  the  green  bullister. 

Is  a  kiss  o'  Robin-a*Ree, 
And  the  milk  on  the  tade*s  back  I  wad  prefer, 

To  the  poison  on  his  lips  that  be  ; 
He  has  rum'd  me  the  de*ils  needle. 

He  has  killed  puir  Mary  Lee, 
Whan  my  heart  awa,  he  did  weedle, 

Nae  mair  saw  I  Robin-a-Ree. 

'Ere  that  my  lum  did  bonnily  reek, 

Fu'  bien  and  clean  was  my  ha'. 
At  my  ain  ingle  than  my  spawls  I  cud  beck. 

Whan  that  swaul'd  the  wridy  snaw  ; 
O  !  ance  I  liv'd  happy  by  von  bonny  bum. 

The  warl  was  in  love  wi  me. 
But  now  I  maun  sit  'neath  the  could  drift  and  mourn, 

And  curse  black  Robin-a-Ree. 

Then  whudder  awa  thou  bitter  biting  blast. 

And  sough  through  the  scruntie  tree. 
And  smoor  me  up  i  the  snaw  fu'  fastf 

And  ne'er  let  the  sun  me  see  ; 
O  !  never  melt  awa  thou  wride  o'  snaw, 

That's  sae  kind  in  graving  me. 
But  hide  me  ay  frae  the  scorn  and  ga&w, 

O'  villains  like  Robin-a-Ree. 

There  are  two  other  Robbuis,  celebrated  in  an  out-of-the- 
way  kind  of  song,  which  I  feel  inclined  also  to  give — 

Twa  lads  at  ClauchmdoUy  bide, 
Wha  I  lo'e  weel,  they're  baith  sae  spree, 

I'd  be  the  tane  or  t'ither's  bride, 

I>ear  Robbin  Bell—^yittX  RoMnn  Bee, 

But  what's  the  odds  wha  I  do  like. 

There's  nane  o'm  cares  a  doit  ibr  me. 
Which  makes  me  lie,  and  sab,  and  byke. 

For  Robbin  Bell  and  RMin  Bee, 

The  tane  o'm  shaws  his  buckskin  breeks. 

And  cordivans  sae  nice  to  see  ; 
Tlie  tither  has  the  dress  bespeaks. 

Trig  Robbin  Bell—Wghi  Robbin  Bee, 

And  nane  o'  them  can  ither  beat. 

At  putting-stane,  and  doure  sweartree. 
Then  to  the  kirk  they  baith  come  neat, 

Braw  Robbin  BeU-AiXV&V  Robbin  Bee. 


4IO  RIN  ROB 

brass  &ce  on,  and  a  dark-brown  haze  hangs  round  the 
horizon. 

RiNNER — A  little  brook;  also,  butter  melted  with  tar,  for 
s?uep-smearing. 

RiNNiNGS — Ulcers,  which  are  the  fountains  of  running  matter. 

RiNS  o*  Gallowa — ^The  borders,  roons^  or  selvages  of  Gallo- 
way. The  riUngs  or  ravelings,  or  rugged  margins  of  the 
country. 

RippET — ^A  bitter-tempered,  chattering  creature. 

RippLEGiRSE — A  broad-leaved  herb,  which  labourers  put  on 
cuts. 

RiSKisH  Lan' — Land  of  a  wet  and  boggy  nature ;  the  plough 
rairs  and  risks  in  it  when  ploughing. 

RizzLES — A  species  of  berry;  sometimes  they  are  called 
tussles, 

RizzLiNG — Any  thing  such  as  straw,  is  said  to  be  riszling^  when 
it  is  free  of  moisture,  quite  dry,  rustling. 

Robbin-a-Ree — A  game  of  the  ingle-nuik^  much  like  the  pnnt- 
cat;  only  in  passing  the  brunt-stick  round  the  ring,  the 
following  rhyme  is  said : — 

•*  Robin-a-Ree,  ye*ll  no  dee  wi'  me, 

**  Tho'  I  birl  ye  roun'  a  three-times  and  three, 

**0  Robin-a-Ree,  O  Robin-a-Ree, 

**  O  dinna  let  Robin-a-Reerie  dee." 

I  have  been  somewhat  pestered  to  know  who  or  what  this 
Robin-a-Rce  was.  The  old  song  here  brings  him  before  us  in 
another  shape. 

I  dinna  like  the  Meg  o*  mony  feet, 

Nor  the  brawnet  Connochworm, 
Quoth  Mary  Lee,  as  she  sat  and  did  greet, 

A  dawding  wi*  the  storm  ; 
Nowther  like  I  the  vallow-\%'ym*d-ask, 

'Neath  the  root  o  yon  aik  tree. 
Nor  the  hairy  adders  on  the  fog  that  bask, 

])ut  waur  I  like  Robin-a-Ree. 


ROB —  ROB  411 

O  !  hatefii*  it's  to  hear  the  whut-throat  chark, 

Frae  out  the  auld  Taflfdyke, 
And  wha  likes  the  evening  singing  hirk, 

And  the  auld  moon  houghing  tyke  ; 
O  !  I  hate  them,  and  the  ghaist  ateen, 

Ne'er  the  den  o*  puir  Mary  Lee, 
But  ten  times  waur  loe  I,  I  ween, 

That  vile  cheel  Robin-a-Ree. 

0  !  sourer  than  the  green  bullister, 
Is  a  kiss  o'  Robin-a-Ree, 

And  the  milk  on  the  tade's  back  I  wad  prefer, 
To  the  poison  on  his  lips  that  be  ; 

1  le  has  rum'd  me  the  de'ils  needle, 

He  has  kill'd  puir  Mary  Lee, 
Whan  my  heart  awa,  he  did  weedle, 
Nae  mair  saw  I  Robin-a-Ree. 

'Ere  that  my  lum  did  bonnily  reek, 

Fu'  bien  and  clean  was  my  ha', 
At  my  ain  ingle  than  my  spawls  I  cud  beck. 

Whan  that  swaul'd  the  wridy  snaw  ; 
O  !  ance  I  liv'd  happy  by  yon  bonny  bum, 

The  warl  was  in  love  wi  me, 
But  now  I  maun  sit  'neath  the  cauld  drift  and  mourn, 

And  curse  black  Robin-a-Ree. 

Then  whudder  awa  thou  bitter  biting  blast. 

And  sough  throi^h  the  scruntie  tree. 
And  smoor  me  up  i  the  snaw  fu'  Uistf 

And  ne'er  let  the  sun  me  see  ; 
O  !  never  melt  awa  thou  wride  o'  snaw, 

That's  sae  kind  in  graving  me. 
But  hkie  me  ay  firae  the  scorn  and  gafaw, 

O'  villains  like  Robin-a-Ree. 

There  are  two  other  Robbifis^  celebrated  in  an  out-of-the- 
way  kind  of  song,  which  I  feel  inclined  also  to  give — 

Twa  lads  at  ClauchendoUy  bide, 
Wha  I  lo'e  weel,  they're  baith  sae  spree, 

I'd  be  the  tane  or  t'ither's  bride, 

Dear  Robbin  Bell—^vrtet  Robhin  Bee. 

But  what's  the  odds  wha  I  do  like. 

There's  nane  o'm  cares  a  doit  ibr  me, 
Which  makes  me  lie,  and  sab,  and  byke. 

For  Robbin  Bell  and  Rabbin  Bee, 

The  tane  o'm  shaws  his  buckskin  breeks. 

And  cordivans  sae  nice  to  see  ; 
llie  tither  has  the  dress  bespeaks. 

Trig  Robbin  Bell— tight  Robbin  Bee. 

And  nane  o'  them  can  ither  beat. 

At  putting-stane,  and  doure  sweartree, 
I'hen  to  the  kirk  they  baith  come  neat, 

Braw  Robbin  Bell— hmV  Robbin  Bee, 


412  ROB  ROB 


O,  but  they  faaith  are  funny  cheels, 
I  never  saw  them  wanting  ^ec. 

And  wi'  the  lassies,  too,  theyre  de'ils, 
Mark  /(oMh  .A^/— match  I^aMin  Bte, 

The  tane  has  bastard  baimies  twa. 
The  tither  he  has  twa  or  three. 

But  O,  they're  darling  boys  for  a'. 
My  Rohbin  BeU-<Jid  RoMm  Bee. 

At  sock  or  scythe  they  hae  nae  match. 
They  ay  do  get  the  biggest  fee, 

And  t»ith  o*  them  do  wear  a  watch, 
O,  Rabbin  Belfs-Aike  Bobbin  Bee. 

'Bout  them  rin  mony  a  hizzie  daft. 
Ay  waur  than  me,  puir  Girzle  Gee, 

For  O,  their  tongues  make  hearties  saft, 
Blythe  Bobbin  Be/i—hmye  Bobbin  Bee. 

O,  wha  can  stand  their  squeezes  warm  ? 

And  whan  they  cadge  us  on  the  knee. 
We  clean  forget  there's  ony  harm 

In  Bobbin  Bell — ^and  BMin  Bee, 


RoBBiN  Breestie  —  The  Robin  Redbreast ;  in  Germany, 
Tommy  Linden.  The  following  poem,  termed  the  Twa 
Burdiesj  I  give,  for  why,  it  hath  very  little  poetic  merit,  but 
treats  of  the  Robbin  Breastie,  and  the  Willie  Wagtail,  and 
has  a  tolerable  moral : — 

Whan  a  wunter  storm  was  ance  taking  its  breath. 

And  the  snaw  did  cease  to  drift, 
And  the  sun  peeped  through  a  straight  blue  lx>re, 

Laigh,  laigh,  i'  the  southeron  lift. 

Twa  burdies  'neath  the  easle  o'  an  auld  house, 

Sat  chirping  out  their  wail, 
The  tane  o*  them  was  the  Robbin  Breestie, 

And  the  tither  the  Wullie  Wagtail. 

Puir  Robbin's  wings  war  hinging  unco  side. 

And  his  shankies  seem'd  truly  sma'. 
While  WuUie's  tail  wi'  its  white  and  blae  feathers, 

Cud  hardly  gie  a  wag  ava. 

The  twasome  pied  down  on  the  cauld  sneep  snaw, 

Wi'  the  sorry  hauf  striflfen'd  e'e, 
A  wee  teat  o'  gool  was  no  to  be  seen. 

Nor  ane  spawl'drochy  lang- legged  flee. 


ROB ROO  415 

Then  follow  me,  quoth  the  Robbin  Breestie, 

To  his  comrade  the  Wullie  Wagtail, 
Let  us  bauldly  enter  yon  bielie  giu-ha', 

And  for  food  we  winna  faiL 

Sae  inta  the  bonny  ha'  they  did  hap. 

And  the  baimies  them  daigh  did  mool, 
Wee  Mary  ran  out  to  the  wunnowing  the  com, 

And  brought  them  in  plenty  o*  gool. 

Then  on  to  the  lip  o*  the  meal-gimel, 

Lap  Robbin  and  sang  his  sang  ; 
But  Wullie  the  lad  look  wullyart  and  blate, 

And  was  wagging  his  tail  bx*  thrang. 

Ane  bawdrons  wha  had  kitlins  under  a  bed, 

Whan  she  heard  Robbin's  sang. 
Came  sprauchlin  in  a  hurry  out, 

And  at  Wullie  Wagtail  did  spang. 

He  flew  against  a  lozen  wi*  a  thud, 

Glass  light  deceived  the  chiel, 
Back  fluttering  he  was  dung,  and  cudna  be  saved,' 

To  bawdrons  he  did  reel. 

She  nyarr'd  whan  she  gat  him,  as  he  had  been  a  mouse. 

Or  some  lang-snout^  cheeping  strow, 
Robbin  sat  still,  and  keep'd  a  calm  sough. 

Than  happ'd  out  whan  he  was  fu'. 

A  lesson  is  this  to  a'  mankind. 

Whan  we*re  strangers  ony  gate  never  fail 
To  mark  them  that's  nanf,  like  the  Robbin  Breestie, 

Or  weVe  worried  like  the  IVullie  Wagtail. 

RoBBiN-RiN-THE-HEDGE  —  A  trailing  kind  of  weed,  which 
runs  along  hedges,  a  robbin  net ;  its  seed  sticks  to  woollen 
cloth. 

RoNNET  Bags — ^The  rennets  for  coagulating  milk. 

Roon-Shoon — Shoes  made  of  the  roons,  or  selvages  of  cloth. 

RoosiNG — Praising,  with  a  little  flattery.  The  Gallovidians 
are  not  much  given  to  this  fault;  when  the  merchant 
asked  auid  Ned  about  the  caut  he  intended  to  sell,  what 
were  her  properties,  and  so  forth,  Ned,  who  knew  nothing 
about  roosing,  or  lying,  said,  "  Why  the  cow  has  very  little 
miikj  and  no  butter  at  all ; "  Ned,  indeed,  did  not  butter 
up  his  property.  Another  man  said  of  his  friend's  whisky, 
"  that  it  was  de'ils  swear  to  gang  down,  nor  wad  it  stay  whan 
it  was  downy    And  a  third,  whom  a  neighbour  was  buying 


414  ROO  ROY 

seed  com  from,  the  latter  said  that  he  doubted  it  wad  not 
grow,  as  it  was  a  wee  thing  o'  the  red  early  cast;  '' that's  a 
queer  thought  of  your's,  (quoth  the  fonner)  ^  for  I*m  sure  it 
was  de'ils  fond  to  grow  in  the  harrest-time;  "  but  grain,  when 
once  it  hath  budded,  and  is  checked,  will  not  bud  again. 
Such  are  swatches  of  the  flatteiy  of  the  peasantry. 

Roov'd  —  Rivetted.  Two  persons  once  tried  who  would 
tell  the  largest  lie ;  the  first  said, ''  he  knew  a  fellow  who 
made  a  ladder,  and  Went  up  on  it  to  the  mocm,  and  there 
drove  a  spike  nail  right  through  her  fieice ; "  ^  O,  but  (says  the 
other,)  my  fellow  went  up  and  raat/d  that  nail  on  the  other 
side."  "  Well,"  (cried  a  third)  "  I  think  you  are  about 
equal ;  you  may  try  again."* 

RoPED-EEN — Sore  eyes;  the  rheumy  matter  hardened  on  the 
eye-lashes. 

RossENs — Bramble  covers,  sometimes  termed  ronsy  dumps 
of  thorns  and  briers ;  same  with  French  rvnceroi^  a  wild, 
thorny  place ;  a  king,  or  rot,  of  rustling  brushwood  places. 
A  fox  was  once  sadly  beset  in  one  of  these  rvssems  ^ 
whuns ;  the  hounds  could  not  uncover  him,  so  the  nm 
was  set  in  flames  about  his  lugs ;  out  he  came  with  his  tafl 
a-blaze,  like  one  of  Sampson's,  and  was  shot  by  one  of 
the  sentinels. 

RoucHTON — A  rough,  strong  fellow ;  rouch^  rough. 

RouNALL — Any  circular  thing,  such  as  the  moon. 

RousE-AWAV  !  —  A  call  of  a  fresh-water  boatswain !  lund 
away. 

Rout — A  heavy  blow  with  a  stick. 

Roving-Sleep — When  one  talks  while  sleeping,  we  are  said  to 
be  roving  in  our  sleep. 

Rowings — Wool  made  up  in  long  rolls,  with  cards^  before  it  is 
spun. 

RovATiNG — Feasting  well ;  rioting  on  the  sweets  of  the  earth. 


RUG  RUR  415 

Rug — A  bed-cover ;  "  as  snu^s  a  bug  in  a  n^." — Old  say. 

Rule  o'  Thumm — Rule  of  thumb,  the  king  of  all  rules.  The 
ruU  ofthreey  and  Pythagoras's  golden  rule  are  nothing  to  this; 
it  is  that  rule  whereby  a  person  does  something  which  no 
other  can.  Thus  Burns  wrote  Tarn  d  Shanter  by  the  rule  d 
thumm;  this  is  the  rule  of  genius^  or  the  rule  of  nature ^  which 
surpasses  all  the  rules  of  art ;  every  soul  knows  less  or  more 
of  this  rule,  and  yet  no  two  know  exactly  the  same.  Thus, 
who  could  compose  this  book  like  me? — None.  Many  might 
be  found  to  do  it  better,  and  few  worse;  but  none  could  do  it 
exactly  as  I  do ;  of  course,  then,  I  am  making  use  of  this 
valuable  rule^  and  so  doth  every  one;  without  book  or 
dominie  we  all  become  acquainted  with  the  rule  d  thumm ; 
we  even  gain  the  affections  of  the  lasses  by  it — the  only  thing 
worthy  of  gain  in  this  world. 

Rules  o'  Contrary — A  female  school  game,  much  like 
Allieomgreenzie,  which  see. 

RuMMLEKiRNS — GuUets  on  wild  rocky  shores,  scooped  out 
by  the  hand  of  nature ;  when  the  tide  flows  into  them  in  a 
storm,  they  make  an  awful  rumbling  noise ;  in  them  are  the 
surges  churned. 

RuMMLiNSiRES — Small  sewers  filled  with  little  stones. 

RuNCHES — White  roots,  common  among  ploughed  land;  swine 
are  fond  of  them,  but  farmers  not 

RUNGE — ^To  rummage,  to  search  with  avidity. 

RuNSE — ^The  noise  a  sharp  instrument  makes,  piercing  flesh. 

Runt — A  short  thick  stick,  a  rung;  also  a  short  person, 
runted  tail, 

RuN-wuLL — A  person  is  said  to  be  run-wull^  when  run  out  of 
the  reach  of  the  law ;  with  wildness. 

RuRALACH — A  native  of  the  rural  world. 

Whan  I  came  hame  frae  my  weary  travels, 

My  bonny  lassy  I  thought  to  see. 
My  lovely  dearie,  wha  aften  wandered, 

In  sunny  blinks  roun'  the  shores  wi'  me. 


4i6  RUR SAD 

But  whar  was  she,  O  whar  was  my  sweetheart  ? 

But  in  her  grave  'neath  the  tnm  sae  green. 
There  she  dom  sleep,  and  I  bitter  weep. 

For  my  only  true  love,  my  Rural  Queen. 

Whatever  she  said,  I  did  joy  to  hear  her, 
Howe'er  she  look'd,  she  was  heaven  to  see. 

In  my  arms  I  press'd  her,  and  sweetly  kiss*d  her. 
Her  feeling  neart  quickly  moved  me. 

What  caused  me  then  not  to  wed  my  dariing? 

'Twas  reason  blighted  my  love  sae  keen. 
For  Poverty  he  did  frighten  me, 

Sae  I  bade  farewell  to  my  Rural  Queen. 

1  bade  farewell  to  the  blooming  creature. 

Until  a  fairer  day  I'd  see. 
But  death  came  fomt'ard  while  I  delayed, 

And  a  doolfii'  wretch  he  has  made  o'  me. 

Thus  always  cowards  by  the  world  are  treated. 

It  is  the  way,  and  has  ever  been  ; 
P'or  fate  grows  cross,  and  their  loves  they  loss. 

As  has  been  my  luck  wi'  my  Rural  Queen. 

s. 

S—  An  iron  hook  of  the  shape  of  this  letter,  used  by  harrowers 
and  ploughmen  to  join  the  treadwuddie  to  the  buck  in  har- 
rowing, and  to  the  soam  in  ploughing ;  also  to  the  sunngU- 
trees  in  each. 

Sackie — A  person  somewhat  like  a  sack  when  full. 

Saddened — Made  solid,  by  tramping  or  otherwise. 

Saddle-tae-side — The  way  females  sit  on  the  saddle,  to  the 
one  side. 

Saddler  Halliday — A  well  known  Gallovidian  original, 
of  the  Christian  name  James,  but  being  bred  a  saddler, 
and  becoming  notorious,  he  is  known  by  no  other  name 
than  Saddler  Halliday ;  when  young  he  was  the  best-per- 
son*d  man  any  where  to  be  seen ;  when  at  his  apprentice- 
ship, dukes  and  lords,  in  passing  through  Dumfries, 
stopped  their  carriages  to  observe  the  young  saddler. 
Having  served  out  his  time,  he  married  his  master's 
daughter,  but  she  proving  not  to  be  a  very  good  woman, 
and  he  none  of  the  very  best  of  men,  they  soon  dissolved 


SAD SAD  417 

partnership.  He  said  of  her,  "  that  had  he  fished  the  loch  o* 
hell  wi'  a  tade  on  for  a  baity  he  could  not  have  drawn  up  a 
worse  wife."  After  this,  he  took  a  ramble  away  through 
England,  as  far  as  London,  and  drunk  and  was  merry  where- 
ever  he  went,  dipping  at  the  same  time  deep  into  the  know- 
ledge of  the  ways  of  mankind,  the  most  extensive  science  of 
any.  But  what  may  seem  strange,  he  would  not  walk  a  mile 
undemight,  no,  not  for  all  the  world ;  here  then  do  we 
behold  a  young  strong  man,  nearly  seven  feet  high,  so  afraid 
of  boggles,  that  he  could  not  move  alone,  when  gloaming  set 
in.  He  used  to  say,  "that  though  very  timorous  he  was 
this  way,  he  was  not  so  bad  as  the  auld  priest  Nathan  Mackie, 

who  durst  not  gang  to  the  door  ate'en  to ,  unless 

ane  of  the  servants  gaed  wi'  him,  and  held  him  by  the  coat 
tail."  The  boggles  have  quite  the  upper  hand  of  the  saddler  ; 
once  the  cloud  involved  him  in  darkness  on  some  of  the 
roads  of  Galloway,  so  he  would  proceed  no  farther,  and 
bolted  into  a  barn  by  the  way-side,  and  covered  himself 
among  some  straw ;  about  midnight  he  heard  something 
like  the  moans  and  groans  of  some  being  in  the  same 
bam,  and  his  fears  squared,  the  sounds  of  distress  in- 
creased, and  at  last,  a  vomiting  noise  was  heard ;  the  smell 
of  the  disgorged  matter  told  in  the  saddler's  nose,  that  the 
being  was  nothing  of  the  supernatural  order;  he  sought  it 
out,  and  who  was  this  but  his  own  worthy  wife,  hopeful 
woman?  Next  morning  they  parted  again,  and  never,  as 
I  have  heard,  have  had  the  happiness  to  pass  a  night  with 
each  other  again.  It  is  long  now  since  the  saddler  became 
a  wandering  tradesman  ;  he  wanders  from  one  friend's  house 
in  the  country  to  another,  and  "fettles  the  naig  graith." 
Bachelor's  haws  are  his  favourites;  there  he  goes  through 
his  tales,  and  makes  his  pointed  remarks;  he  is  ratherly 
given  to  Scotch  satire,  which  assists  in  making  him  the 
famous  character  he  is ;  he  has  the  manners  of  the  best 

bred  gentleman  at  hand,  whenever  he  needs  to  use  them ; 

2  D 


4i8  SAD  SAW 

his  abilities  wont  to  shine  with  brilliancy  over  a  bottle,  and 
the  cock  of  all  parties  wherein  was  he,  was  always  allowed  to 
be  Saddler  Halliday. 

Sadjell — A  lazy  unwieldy  animal. 

Saeged-Teeth — Teeth  set  on  edge  by  eating  unripe  fruit 

Sael'd — Sealed. 

Saip-sapples,  or  Saip-sudds  —  Water  that  clothes  has  been 
washed  with. 

Sand-tripper — The  sand-piper,  common  on  shores. 

Saughwand-creels — Wicker  baskets. 

Saving-tree — ^A  shrub  common  in  gardens,  of  a  medical 
nature ;  given  (the  leaves  of  it,  when  decocted),  to  horses 
having  the  botts  ;  also,  it  is  said  to  kill  the  foetus  in  the  womb, 
though  I  doubt  if  there  be  much  truth  in  this.  It  takes  its 
name  from  this  though,  as  being  able  to  save  a  young  woman 
from  shamCy  by  her  committing  murder,  a  pretty  way  indeed 
This  is  what  makes  gardeners  and  others  wary  about  giving  it 
to  females.  Bums  fancies  Hombuik  knew  this  tree.  "  She 
trust  hersell  to  hide  the  shame  in  Hombuke's  care." 

Sawing  Sheet — A  sheet  out  of  which  grain  is  sown.  To 
saw  braid-cast,  to  scatter  grain  with  the  hand.  Saw,  sahe 
for  wounds. 

Sawnie,  the  Sailor — No  original  is  more  worthy  a  place 
in  this  book  than  Sawnie  Brman,  or  Sawnie  the  Sailor- 
Bom  in  Borgue,  bred  a  farmer,  ran  off,  and  became  a 
sailor  when  about  twenty  years  of  age.  Sailed  in  the 
slave-trade  ;  was  impressed  on  board  a  man  o'  war ;  was 
at  the  taking  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  at  Monte 
Video,  in  South  America.  After  serving  his  Majesty  ten 
years  against  his  will,  he  returned  to  his  native  country, 
and,  like  his  ancestor,  Sinbad  the  Sailor,  recounted  his 
wonderful  adventures,  and  really  wonderful  they  are; 
entirely  true,  as  Sawnie  never  lied  in   his   life.     It   is  not 


SAW  SAW  419 

exactly  the  many  brunts  and  strange  scenes  he  has  been  in 
that  make  them  so,  but  it  is  the  strange  observations  he  made 
in  these  brunts  and  broilimefiis,  and  the  way  he  tells  them  ; 
for  what  is  singular,  all  the  while  he  was  away  from  friends, 
amidst  foreigners  in  distant  lands,  his  native  tongue  and 
native  manners  changed  nothing ;  he  came  home  a  greater 
Borgucnite  than  when  he  went  away,  and  talked  hrader  Scotch 
than  any  in  the  country ;  to  hear  him  in  this  language  telling  of 
one  of  his  Shirramuirs,  how  laughable  it  is.  I  shall  give  the 
account  of  the  battle  of  the  Cape,  as  taken  from  his  lips ;  all 
his  other  adventures  I  have  also  by  me,  and  will  give  them 
to  the  world  some  day  or  other,  for  indeed  they  are  as 
original  things  as  I  have  met  with.  "  Weel,  the  fleet  started  ; 
I  kend  na  whar  the  devil  they  war  for.  We  had  sogers 
without  end  aboard,  wi'  Sir  David  Baird  and  his  white  naig, 
and  mair  care  was  ta'en  o'  this  white  naig  than  o*  ony  human 

creature  we  had  wi'  us.     Our  Commodore,  Sir  H P , 

was  a  damned  lang  yallow  leug,  wi'  buckteeth  ;  he  nevtigaed 
lie  hardly,  but  wad  hae  lain  wi*  his  claise  on  twar-three 
minutes  whiles  aboon  the  blankets ;  he  ay  looked  oozlie,  his 
hat  2l  in  colours,  and  his  coat  covered  wi'  woo  and  stoure ; 
he  feared  neither  God  nor  the  Devil,  and  his  oaths 
made  the  auldest  sailor  aboard  trimmle.  After  we  had 
plunged  at  it  for  twar-three  weeks,  we  saw  the  loom  of 
the  Cape,  and  soon  landed  the  sogers  on*t,  at  a  place  three 
miles  frae  Cape  Town,  round  the  shore.  The  Dutch  and 
French  forces  war  to  be  fought  next  day ;  the  sailors  o'  the 
fleet  war  to  man  the  big  guns ;  and  I  was  ane  amang  the 
rest  picked  out  to  push  and  draw  the  meikle  cannon  on  the 
fiel  o'  battie.  Lord,  I  ken'd  na  now  what  to  think,  I  had 
never  been  at  a  battle ;  a  kind  o*  shilpetness  cam  owre  me  ; 
wine  was  dealt  roun' ;  I  skilled  at  it,  but  had  I  drank  at  it 
till  yet,  it  wad  na  hae  doitered  me;  a  noggin  fu'  has  nae 
effect  in  a  time  o'  that  kind.  The  marching  began  about 
sunrise,   and   soon  we  came  in  sight  o'  the  enemy :  how 


420  SAW SAW 

the  sun  did  dazzle  on  the  sillar-laced  claise  o'  the  Frendi 
troops ;  I  looked  at  them  whan  I  had  time,  but  the  hauii- 
ing  the  guns  keeped  ane  thrang.  Soon  we  gat  near  them, 
and  they  began  to  burn  powther  first  I  hated  to  hear  the 
balls  soughing  by  me,  and  thought  on  my  Father's  auld 
prayer,  some  o'  which  I  said  quietly  to  myselL  At  length  the 
faught  began  in  earnest ;  gude  Lord !  what  a  tirrivee  and 
stramash !  We  had  twa  Highland  regiments ;  some  o'  the 
sogers  in  them  being  shot,  the  rest  gat  mad  on  the  instant 
the  moment  they  saw  blood.  Donald  cudna  be  hadden  in ; 
they  flew  in  on  the  fae  with  their  bagonets,  and  sent  the 
enemy  in  confusion.  Now  was  the  time  for  us  ;  we  pointed 
the  guns  to  the  greatest  cluddcrs,  and  they  being  loaded  with 
grape,  we  just  cutted  roads  through  them,  and  fain  war  they 
to  lay  down  their  arms  at  our  feet  in  a  wee  time,  and  ask  for 
quarters  ;  but  the  devils  o*  Highland  bodies  seemed  anxioos 
for  mair  o\  and  seemed  vexed  the  dust  was  owre ;  mony  a 
ane  they  necked  after  the  battle  was  at  an  end.  Then 
marched  we  into  Cape  Town,  and  stack  up  the  flag.  I  was 
as  black  as  the  Ace  o*  Spades  wi*  gunpowther ;  but  whan 
washed  and  dressed,  faith  I  was  as  weel  as  ever ;  the  de'il  the 
scart  I  had  got,  though  I  had  morroch*d  through  the  mids 
o't.  I  was  glad  at  this,  and  gaed  away,  and  saw  the  bonny 
lasses  o*  the  Cape."  So  goeth  Sawnie  on,  and  who  would 
not  be  pleased  to  listen  ?  but  I  shall  let  him  rest  at  this  time 
until  I  bring  out  the  strange  ^^  Adventures  of  SawnUj  the 
Sailor.''     The  following  is  two  verses  of  his 

WELCOME  TO  GALLOWA. 

The  whusky  pig  we'll  fill  fu*,  the  best  things  i'  the  house 
Faith,  we  shall  set  afore  ye ;  gud  Lord,  man  !  we'se  be  crouse  ; 
And  owre  the  ills  o'  Fortune,  like  glorious  souls  shall  craw 
Thou'rt  welcome  hame,  dearie  Sawnie  man,  to  bonny  Galiowa. 

At  the  Cape  there  wi'  Sir  Davie,  and  eke  Mount  Video, 
What  awfu'  broiliments  ye  had  wi'  the  mighty  foe  ; 
\q  drave  the  French  and  Spaniards  as  rain  drives  aff  the  sna, 
O  !  but  ye're  welcome,  Sawnie  man,  to  bonny  Galiowa. 


SAX SCA  421 

Saxes  and  Sevens — To  have  all  rid,  a  clear  plan  laid  out, 
is  to  have  it  all  portioned  in  saxes  and  sevens, 

ScADES  o'  Light — Flares,  or  flashes  of  light ;  coloured  light,  as 
it  were. 

ScAFFV  Showers — Showers  which  soon  blow  by ;  "  a  baul 
scaffo)  a  shower,"  a  pretty  severe  shower. 

**  A  sun-sliiny  shower,  lasts  not  half  an  hour." 

Auld  say, 

ScAiL — To  separate;  to  scail  the  kim*an,  to  separate  the 
party. 

ScALBERT — A  low-lifed,  scabby-minded  individual. 

ScARCEMENT — A  shelf  amongst  rocks  :  a  shelf  leaning  out 
from  the  main  face  of  a  rock ;  on  scarcementSy  build  sea- 
fowl. 

ScARROW — ^The  shadow.  The  scarroiv  o*  a  hill,  the  shadow  of 
that  hill ;  the  scarroiv  d  a  craw,  the  shadow  of  a  crow  or 
other  bird,  on  the  earth,  while  it  flies  in  the  air ;  this  is  one 
of  our  poetical  words ;  it  means  too  something  more  than 
mere  shadow,  but  I  cannot  express  the  idea.  To  translate 
Scottish  into  English,  is  no  easy  matter. 

ScART — To  scrape ;  scartings,  the  scrapings  of  a  pot 

ScAUM  o'  THE  Sky — The  scum  of  the  sky;  the  thin 
white  vapours  of  the  atmosphere;  a  scaumy  day^  a  day 
when  the  sun*s  face  is  behind  white  thin  clouds  ;  there  is 
red  scauniy  white  scanm^  and  many  others.  By  the  colour, 
or  hue  of  the  scauniy  do  Watherwiseakers  guess  about 
coming  weather.  Scaum,  like  scarrow^  is  also  a  poetical 
word. 

Scaup — ^The  scalp ;  a  bare  scalps  a  bald  head  ;  scaupy  land, 
bare  land,  thin  of  soil. 

ScAURTS — A  name  for  the  black  cormorant ;  for  why,  this 
bird  hath  its  nest  on  scaurs  or  wild  rocky  places ;  its  com- 
mon name  is  douker,  because   it   is  a  great   diver:    also. 


422  SCA SCR 

Mochrum  lairds^  because  they  have  been,  as  it  were,  pro- 
prietors there  of  a  piece  of  wild  shore,  for  an  unknown 
length  of  time ;  and  also,  they  are  called  Elders  d  Carvendy 
from  their  black,  grave,  and  greedy  appearance,  and  being 
common  on  Colvend  shores. 

ScAWD  OR  ScAUD — A  disrespectful  name  for  tea. 

ScLATERS — A  species  of  ear-wig ;  also  slaters.  SclaUr^s  eggs^ 
little  white  eggs  like  beads,  found  amongst  red  land. 
Sclateband,  a  strata  of  slate  amongst  bands  of  rock. 

ScLiFFANS — Useless  thin  shoes ;  the  same  with  sclotts, 

ScLov — To  slide;  scloying,  sliding;  the  same  with  sclying\  a 
scloy  or  scly^  a  slide. 

ScoDGiNG — Looking  sly.  Scodgie,  a  suspicious  person ;  san^y 
to  pilfer,  to  half  thief. 

Scones — Soft  bread ;  cakes  baked  with  flower, 

ScooL — To  scowl;  scool  d  herrings  a  herring  tack  or  shoal; 
scooly  a  disorder  with  horses. 

Scoot — To  squirt  water  through  a  hollow  tube ;  scoot-gun^  a 
syringe ;  scoot ^  a  scout^  a  person  on  the  look-out  Cobblers 
are  termed  scoutSy  being  always  on  the  prowl.  Scoaty  a 
wooden  drinking  caupy  sometimes  scoopy  being  wood  scooped 
out.  Scootifu\  the  full  of  a  scoot ;  scoot ikinSy  drams  of  whisky ; 
also  scootUy  to  spill  anything  when  a  carrying. 

ScowBS — Bended  sticks  for  holding  thatch  down  on  houses ; 
scowbedy  bended  ;  sco%vb  and  scrawy  a  snug  phrase. 

ScoY — Anything  badly  made  ;  scoylochy  an  animal  which  plaits 
its  legs  past  others  in  walking. 

ScRAFFLE  or  ScRAMMLE — When  any  one,  such  as  a  bridegroom, 
or  an  electioneerer,  flings  loose  coin  among  the  mob,  the 
rabble  is  then  said  to  scraffle  or  scrammle  for  it,  or  that  the 
scene  is  a  scrammle. 

ScRAicH  or  ScRAiGH — A  shriek  ;  scraighton,  a  person  fond  of 
screaming. 


SCR SCU  423 

ScRANNiE — An  old,  ill-natured,  wrinkled,  beldame. 

ScRATT — A  rit,  as  with  a  bier ;  to  be  scratted,  to  be  torn  by 
females. 

ScRAWS — Thin  turfs,  pared  with  flaughter  spades,  to  cover 
houses. 

ScREACH,  Skreeh  or  ScRACH  o'  Day — The  morning  dawn  ; 
probably  this  word  and  scarrowy  a.  shadow,  are  connected  ; 
the  shadow  of  the  morning,  the  first  appearance  of  light ;  or 
is  it  allied  to  scraigh^  shriek  ?  At  this  time,  when  the  cock 
crows  or  shrieks,  hie  the  nocturnal  wanderers  to  their 
confine.  Jamieson  has  it  from  creek  d  day,  or  crack,  or  break, 
in  this  I  do  not  just  agree  with  him. 

Screed — To  rive ;  the  noise  cloth  makes  in  tearing. 

ScREEL — A  large  rocky  hill  nigh  the  sea;  a  haunt  for  the 
fox. 

ScROGGS — Low  bushes  ;  scroggie,  scrunted. 

ScROW — A  large  quantity  of  people ;  no  fixed  number 
though. 

Scrubbers — ^Articles  made  of  heather,  for  scrynging 
naps,  for  washing.  "  Ony  scrubbers  the  day,  mistress?" 
Sau'nie  Rag's  well  known  salutation  to  the  gude  wit^s  d 
Galloway, 

Scuds — Lashes ;  the  same  with  scults. 

Scuff — To  touch,  to  graze,  the  scuff  is  the  wind,  as  it  were  ; 
the  scuff  of  a  cannon  ^<7// blows  a  man  to  pieces. 

ScuLLDUDDERY — Fomication.  The  following  is  the  con- 
cluding clause  of  an  Antiburger's  sermon  :  — "  The  time  of 
the  Peatmosses  is  now  at  hand,  my  friens,  when  the  lasses 
will  fling  bits  o'  clods  at  the  lads,  my  fricnsy  and  than  they'll 
seem  to  rin  awa  ye  see,  and  the  lads  they'll  follow  them ; 
whan  heels  owre  gowdie  will  they  gae  as  if  something  had 
whurFd  them,  my  friens  ;  the  lads  gae  out  owre  them,  and 


424  SCU  SHA 

sae  begins  ScuUduddcru,  my  friens,  which  is  the  beginning  o* 
a  evil,  my  friens^  and  which  sends  mony  a  worthy  chid  to 
hell,  myfrtensy  there  to  lie  on  a  bed  o'  brimstone  lowing  biut 
for  ever  mair.     Amen,  myfriens" 

ScuN — Plan,  craft     A  scunge,  a  sly  fellow  ;  a  maid  seducer. 

ScuRR — A  low  blackguard  ;  from  Latin  scurra^  a  scoundid ; 
scurTy  any  thing  low ;  scurru-thorns,  low  dwarf  thorns,  in 
moorland  glens. 

S<:UTCH — To  beat;  scutching  spurkle,  a  stick  to  beat  flax; 
scutchintoWf  rough  flax,  the  refuse  of  the  scutching, 

Sealch — The  seal,  the  phoca;  also  a  shiilcom  or  small 
bunyion. 

Seedie  Ingles — Fires  made  with  the  husks  of  grain. 

Seeping — Filtrating,  circling  slowly ;  seeking  vent ;  seepSy  sypes 
or  sykes,  trivial  springs. 

Sellie — Self;  seili^s  ay  sellie^  self  is  still  for  self. 

Service — The  funeral  treat;  the  dredgy^  now  much  done 
away  with,  a  mse  thing,  for  it  was  a  custom  hurtful  to  the 
poor.  Servets  are  the  little  trays  the  service  was  served 
round  to  the  gossips  on ;  it  has  been  remarked,  and  with 
truth,  that  those  who  take  a  dram  most  free  of  any,  on 
other  x>ccasions,  are  modest  at  funerals  as  drinkers ;  so 
much  then  to  their  honour ;  and  it  is  only  those  unsociable 
wretches  who  will  not  pay  for  a  gill  in  a  J*ub lie-house^ 
who  are  voracious  at  them,  who  ought  (confound  their 
monyplies)  to  be  shipped  to  Iceland,  and  pitched  down  the 
crater  of  Heckla. 

Sey  or  Sae — A  shallow  tub,  used  in  cheese  making. 

Sha — What  is  said  to  a  dog,  when  ordered  to  hunt ;  sha-awa^ 
run  you  dog  ! 

Shabb — To  smuggle  ;  to  send  anything  away  privately. 

Shack — A  word  used  in  encouraging  a  curr-dog  to  worry  a 
fox  ;  shack  htm  !  is  the  cry — from  shake  probably. 


SHA  SHI  425 

Shachle — A  weak  animal,  all  shackled  or  shaken, 

Shaird — A  piece  of  furniture  ill-put  together;  a  skieging  comxm. 

Shallochy  Land — Land  of  a  shallow  nature. 

Shangan — A  split  stick  put  on  a  dog*s  tail ;  when  collie  comes 
snuffing  and  snoaking  about  unco  houses,  this  is  put  on  his 
tail,  and  so  he  hies  goufling  kame, 

Shang  o*  Bread  and  Cheese — Apiece,  a  «///,  a  bite  between 
meals. 

Shawp — ^An  useless  creature  ;  the  stalk,  as  it  were,  without  the 
root 

Shed — To  separate  ;  to  separate  the  calves  from  the  cows,  we 
sked  them. 

Sheep-smearing — The  art  of  smearing-sheep  with  oily  matters, 
so  that  they  may  better  withstand  the  winter's  cold, 
termed  laying ;  whiles  for  the  wool  is  laid  aside,  and  the 
tare  poured  into  the  lay  by  the  Iterd's  hand,  like  skeep^ 
clippings  this  a  throng  spell  with  Moor-farmers;  and  those 
who  wish  to  dip  into  moorland  manners,  should  attend 
a  skeep-smearing  bout ;  there  will  the  ear  hear  very  as- 
tonishing curiosities.  I  would  much  rather  be  at  one  of 
these  meetings  than  to  see  a  play  performed  at  Drury 
Lane.  Skeep-tade  or  skeep-tick^  an  insect  which  feeds  on  the 
blood  of  sheep;  sluep-fawsy  retreats  beneath  the  moors 
for  sheep  in  winter ;  skeep-tatking,  confining  sheep  on  a 
piece  of  land  until  they  tatlie  or  manure  it. 

Shillings — Shelled  oats  ;  skilling  kills,  before  the  invention  of 
fatis,  the  seeds  of  com  had  to  be  sifted  from  it  on  a  hill 
in  the  wind,  such  hills  were  so  called. 

Shilpie — A  person  trembling  always,  a  sycophant;  a  poet  who 
dreads  critics,  a  being  whom  independence  knows  nothing 
about ;  a  skilped,  a  shelled  wretch,  a  heart  stript  of  manliness. 

Shinnie — A  game  described  by  Scottish  writers  by  'the 
name  of  skintie ;  the  skins,  or  under  parts  of  the  legs  are 


426  SHI  SHY 

in   danger,  during  the  game,  of  being  struck  ;  hence  ^ 
name  from  shin,     ShinofiSj  sinews  of  the  body. 

Shittle — Any  thing  good  for  nothing. 

Shi  VELA  vat's  Hen — A  hen  which  hath  given  over  laying ;  used 
allegorically  for  females  having  done  with  child-bearing ;  the 
term  is  from  Ireland,  so  ought  to  become  obsolete. 

Shoing  the  Auld  Mare — A  dangerous  kind  of  sport ;  a 
beam  of  wood  is  slung  between  two  ropes,  a  person  gets  on 
to  this,  and  contrives  to  steady  himself^  until  he  goes  through 
a  number  of  antics  ;  if  he  can  do  this  he  shoes  the  auld  marty 
if  he  cannot  do  it,  he  generally  tumbles  to  the  ground,  and 
gets  hurt  with  the  fall. 

Shoing  the  Moss — ^When  moss  is  stripped  for  peateastmg, 
the  upper  turf  is  thrown  into  where  peats  have  been  taken 
out,  this  preserves  the  soil  of  the  moss ;  this  shoes  it  as 
it  were. 

Shuggie  Show — The  amusement  of  boys  on  the  slackropt, 
riding  and  shoving  one  another  in  the  curve  of  the  rope; 
they  recite  this  to  the  swings — 

"  Shuggie  Show,  Druggie  Draw, 
'*  Haud  the  grup,  ye  canna  fa', 
**  Haud  the  grup,  or  do^Mi  ye  come, 
**  And  danceth  on  your  braid  bum." 

Shuttle  o'  Ice— The  Scotch  Glacier.  A  brook  which 
runs  down  a  mountain's  side  is  frozen,  but  the  fountain 
which  supplies  this  brook  keeps  springing  away ;  new 
water  runs  over  the  old,  which  is  now  ice,  and  there 
freezes  too ;  in  this  way  it  continues  with  the  frosty  sea- 
son, and  or  the  thaw  comes  it  is  got  to  a  great  thickness, 
and  is  always  our  last  ice  in  thawing.  School-boys  slide 
in  rows  down  these  shuttles,  reminding  travellers  of  the 
Alpine  hunters,  descending  with  their  goats  to  the  valley 
of  Chaumonie. 

Shvling — Not  looking  directly  at  an  object,  but  out  at  a  side ; 
the  leer  of  a  skdl-faced  vagabond. 


SID SLA  427 

SiDiE  FOR  SiDiE — Side  by  side. 

SiLLAR  Sawnies — PcHwinkles,  common  shells  on  shores. 

SiLLAR  Shakle — Silver  shakle  plant. 

"  The  sillar  shakle  wags  its  pow, 

**  Upon  the  brae  mv  deary, 
**  The  zephyr  round  the  wunnelstrae, 

••  Is  wnistling  never  weary." 

Auld  sang, 

Simie  or  Symie — When  there  are  two  things  quite  like  one 
another,  we  say  they  are  like  simie  or  symie,  either  of  which 
will  answer  for  the  name  Simeon. 

Sinn — ^To  wash;  to  make  clean.  Probably,  this  and  shane, 
that  which  breaks  witchcraft,  are  one;  red-hot  irons  are 
sometimes  thrown  into  a  chum,  so  that  it  may  get,  or  that  the 
cream  therein  may  become  butter ;  this  is  termed  shaning. 

Sinnie — The  medical  plant  senna. 

Sirse — Sirrahs. 

Skellie — To  look  with  one  eye — to  squint — to  go  astray. 

Skemmling — Going  astray ;  a  foolish  way  of  throwing  the  legs. 

Skepping  Bees — The  art  of  puttmg  bees  into  their  houses  when 
they  hive. 

Skerie — Somewhat  restive.  Ramskerie^  very  restive  and  lust- 
ful ;  of  the  nature  of  a  ram. 

Skilts — Drinks  of  any  thing.     Skilting,  drinking  deeply. 

Skin-Flint — A  hard  person;  a  grub,  who  would  try  to  take  the 
skin  ofif  a  flint  stone. 

Skinkle — To  sprinkle,  to  sow  thin.    Skinks,  bad  pieces  of  flesh. 

Skyb — A  worthless  fellow.     Skyball,  the  same. 

Slaggie — The  land,  or  ice  after  a  thaw,  is  said  to  be  slaggie, 
A  slag-day  with  curlers,  is  a  day  on  which  the  ice  is  thawing ; 
from  clog,  comes  this  word. 

Slap — A  gap  in  a  fence.  Milking-slap,  the  place  where  cows 
are  milked  at. 


428  SLA  SMO 

Slargie-Stuff — Matter  of  a  gluey  nature. 

Slawk — A  slimy  plant,  which  grows  in  bums  and  springs. 

Sleeket — A  person  of  a  sly  disposition  ;  smooth  and  deep. 

Sleetch — A  kind  of  fat  mud,  taken  from  shores  to  manure 
land. 

Sleug — An  ill-behaved  man  ;  also,  one  not  good-looking. 

Slew — To  lean  any  thing  to  a  side  ;  off  the  perpendicular. 

Sunk — A  greedy  person  ;  a  young  calf  before  it  is  calved. 

Slocher — A  person  careless  in  dress,  particularly  about  the  feet 

Slomie — An  ox  is  said  to  be  slomie  when  it  has  on  a  £dse 
appearance  of  flesh. 

Slonk  or  Slonking — The  noise  our  feet  make  when  sinking  in 
a  miry  bog;  also,  when  walking  with  shoes  full  of  water. 
Slouching^  a  wetting.     Slouched^  drenched. 

Slough — A  fat  harmless  man.  A' fine  slough  d  a  cheel^  a  harm- 
less contented  man. 

Sluneoch — A  person  of  a  brutish  disposition,  who  would  do 
all  the  harm  he  could,  if  he  had  the  ability  to  project ;  much 
the  same  with  Slunge, 

Slype — To  peel  the  skin  off  the  flesh  ;  also  a  fellow  who  runs 
much  afler  the  female  creation,  yet  has  not  the  boldness 
(though  the  willingness)  to  seduce  any  of  them. 

Sma*  Family — A  family  of  young  children.  Smattery,  a  quantity 
of  small  articles. 

Smeek — Smoke.     Smeekcd,  smoked. 

Smeerikin — The  sweetest  of  all  kisses;  the  kiss  one  lover  gives 
another,  when  they  are  quivering  in  one  another's  arms  :  few 
joys  on  earth  exceed  a  smeerikin, 

Smiddie  Sparks — The   sparks  which  fly  off  red   iron  when 

beat 
Smoik — A  dish  of  good  food ;  to  smoik.  to  feast  on  the  best. 
Smoit — A  person  who  cliatters  silly-bawdy  matters. 


SMU  SNE  429 

Smuddoch — A  bad  burning  fire — more  smoke  than  blaze. 

Smudge — To  smile  when  we  should  not,  such  as  in  a  church. 
To  smudge,  to  try  to  suppress  smiles,  or  laughter. 

Smuist — Disagreeable  smoke.     Smuisted,  smoked. 

Smurr — Light  rain,  rather  heavier  than  dew. 

Snagger-snee — A  large  knife,  first  introduced  from  Germany. 

Snam — To  snap  at  any  thing  greedily. 

Snapper  —  An  unforeseen  accident;  a  misfortune.  Snap^ 
a  little  cake.  Snap,  a  sharp  noise.  A  veteran  soldier  once 
told  me,  that  he  would  not  be  afraid  to  take  a  whole  corps 
of  Gentlemen  Yeomanry  Cavalry  prisoners  with  a  Snap- 
candlestick, 

Snastry — Low  chat.     Snash,  converse  hurtful  to  the  feelings. 

Snawbroe — Melted  snow.  Snaw  0^  the  rink,  the  snow  round 
the  sides  of  a  nnk,  or  channlestone  run. 

Snawburds — Birds  which  visit  us  in  winter.  Snawhrcuk, 
a  thaw,  which  frequently  raises  rivers,  and  does  great  damage. 
Snaw-powther,  fine  snow;  when  this  begins  to  fall  first  in 
a  snow  storm,  its  depth  may  be  dreaded.  Snaw-wrides, 
wreaths  of  snow. 

**  Whan  ere  the  wun  began  to  shift, 
**  We  dreaded  faith  some  mair  snaw, 
**  The  sulky  south  began  to  rift, 
•*  And  on  it  fell  a  sair  snaw. 
**  The  cluds  came  banking  up  fu*  swift, 
**  The  night  did  bring  a  &ir  snaw, 
**  For  or  the  morning,  frae  the  lift 
*'  There  fell  an  awfu  lair  snaw, 
**  And  smoor'd  the  sheep." 

Auld  poent. 

Sned — The  long  pole  a  scythe  is  fitted  into  for  the  purpose 
of  mowing  with  it;  the  nmt  must  be  siccard  in  the  den, 
so  that  the  blade  may  have  a  snanging  sound.  Bow^d  Sneds 
are  preferred  by  mowers  to  straight  ones,  because  they 
enable  them  to  keep  their  backs  more  upright  when  working, 
and  are  not  so  apt  to  raise  stitches. 


430  SNE  SOO 

Sneel — ^To  snivel ;  to  speak  through  the  nose. 

Sneep — The  glitter  or  dazzling  of  a  white  colour,  such  as 
snow. 

Snegg — to  interrupt ;  to  invite  a  broil ;  to  check,  &c. 

Snell — Any  thing,  whether  animate  or  not,  which  biteth  hard. 

Snibble — A  small  piece  of  wood  put  through  the  end  of 
a  rope,  so  that  it  may  be  fixed  into  an  eye  in  the  other 
end. 

Snifflin — Apparently  throng,  yet  doing  nothing. 

Snirk — ^To  give  the  nose  a  smart  draw  up  with  the  membranes 
of  itself. 

Snoit — A  young  conceited  person  who  speaks  little,  thought 
to  be  the  beginning  of  some  genius ;  but  alas  !  it  generally 
remains  a  snoit  all  its  days. 

Snork — The  snort  of  an  affrighted  horse. 

Snotters — Snotts.    The  mucous,  viscous  matter  of  the  nose. 

SoAM — The  iron  of  the  head  of  a  plough.  Herring  soam, 
the  fat  of  herrings. — Young  girls  throw  this  against  a  wall, 
and  if  it  adheres  to  it  in  an  upright  manner,  then  the 
husband  they  get  will  also  be  so ;  if  crooked,  he  will  be 
crooked. 

Sobersides — A  creature  of  sober  habits.  Sobering,  growing 
sober. 

SocY — A  person  who  walks  with  a  manly  air,  sockieng, 
Sonkie — A  man  like  a  sonky  or  sackful  of  straw. 

Sooper — A  bunch  of  feathers  for  sweeping.  Soopet,  cleaned. 
D^il  soopity  means  cleaned  neatly  out.  "  The  de'il  soopet's 
there,"  there  is  nothing  there.  Scoping,  sweeping.  Soopie, 
the  half  of  the  flail,  the  half  which  sweeps  round  the  head. 

Sootipillies. — A  moss  plant,  which  grows  on  a  thick  stalk, 
like  a  willow  wand — the  head  is  about  half  a  foot  long,  and 
of  a  sootie  colour. 


SOS  sou  431 

Soss — To  fall  with  a  soss ;  to  fall  with  all  our  weight  SosSy  a 
mixture  of  various  things  for  feeding  dogs  with. 

SoTTER — To  saturate;  the  noise  of  flesh  roasting.  The 
damned  are  said  to  be  set  a  sottering  in  hell. 

Sough  o*  the  Sea — The  sound  of  the  sea.  Those  skilled  in 
the  weather,  understand  by  this  sound  if  any  storms  be 
brewing,  as  the  sea  begins  to  speak  before  the  sky.  When 
the  sea  thus  doth  growl,  farewell  to  fair  weather  for  a  while  ; 
when  the  dumb  swaul  comes  heaving  over  the  sand  bank, 
and  its  bottom  rubs  the  bar,  then  the  surge  curves  and 
curls  with  indignation  a-top,  spreading  its  wrath  in  a  white 
sheet  of  foam,  which,  for  a  while,  remains  together  on  the 
billows,  like  flower  lime  spread  on  red  land.  The  black 
rock  looking  out  of  the  sulky  deep,  seems  to  have  a  white 
ruff  round  its  neck ;  the  gloomy  bank  appears  over  the 
southern  horizon;  the  ships  come  tilting  over  the  waves 
to  places  of  shelter,  when  turning  down  the  swell  of  the 
billow,  the  rudder  waves  in  air,  and  then  swing  they  round, 
lurching  in  the  hollow  of  the  sea,  while  the  maws  fly  skying 
by  the  sounding  shore,  and  the  raven  seems  to  rejoice  in 
the  coming  storm  : — 

Let  me  gang  whar  I  will,  o'er  the  hills  smoor*d  in  snaw, 

Or  the  black  boiling  ocean,  to  lands  far  awa' ; 

A  day  ne'er  flees  o'er  me  but  it  brings  to  my  mind. 

The  dear  rural  scenes  which  I  hae  left  behind  ; 

Ahame  wi'  my  friends,  whom  I'll  ever  adore, 

Wha  pleasantly  dwell  on  the  Soloway  shore. 

O  !  the  days  I  hae  run  on  the  warm  shelly  beach, 
And  gather'd  the  beauties  the  waters  do  bleach, 
Wi'  my  dear  youthfu'  cronnies,  now  far,  far  frae  me, 
Will  we  ne'er  meet  again,  and  there  frolic  sae  free  ; 
O,  this  makes  me  sorrow,  and  often  deplore. 
For  we'll  ne'er  trip  again  on  the  Soloway  shore. 

Was  the  garden  o'  Eden  yet  flourishing  grand, 
Wi'  its  roses  and  sweets,  all  around  on  each  hand, 
Was  a  fair  Arab  dame,  blushing  joyous  with  love, 
To  invite  me  to  live  in  her  gay  spiccy  grove, 
I'd  fling  them  aside,  and  go  where  the  waves  roar. 
Round  the  I^nd  of  my  Home,  on  the  Soloway  shore. 


432  SOU SPA 

SouROCKS — Sorrel ;  smtr  scanty  literally  sour  bread,  but  used 
to  represent  something  disagreeable;  as  when  a  person 
without  cause  lashes  the  character  of  another,  he  is  said  to 
be  making  himself  a  sour  scone, 

Souter'd — ^We  say  a  card-player  is  souter^d^  when  he  loses  alL 

Sow  BY  THE  Lug — ^When  a  fellow  wishes  to  play  away  upon 
another,  so  that  he  may  show  his  own  ability,  and  lower  the 
other's  in  the  eyes  of  the  world,  and  if  this  one  deceives 
him,  and  has  greater  talents  than  he  was  aware  of,  we  say  he 
has  taken  the  wrong  sow  by  the  lug  \  one  whom  he  can  neither 
"  hap  nor  win  by  the  ear,"  according  to  Hubibras. 

SowDiE — A  dirty  woman,  partaking  much  of  the  nature  of  a 
sow. 

SowLOCHiNG — ^Wallowing  in  mire,  like  a  sow. 

Sowp — ^A  washer-woman's  term  ;  when  washing,  she  gives  the 
clothes  \iti  first  sowp,  and  then  again  her  second  saivp  ;  which 
means,  first  and  second  washes. 

SowsE — A  swinging  heavy  blow  \  sometimes  a  load. 

Spaig — A  person  \vith  long,  ill-shaped  legs. 

Spain,  or  Spean — To  wean ;  to  take  a  young  animal  from 
sucking  its  mother. 

Spaivers — Persons  who  libb  and  spaive  cattle ;  to  libb,  is  to 
castrate  a  male  animal ;  to  spaive^  to  do  a  female  ;  the  for- 
mer is  an  easy  matter  to  do,  in  comparison  with  the  latter. 
A  young  cow  with  calf,  that  is  to  say,  an  open  quey^  Hnll  not 
speave ;  neither  will  a  cow  that  has  had  a  calf,  nor  twin 
female  calves.  All  castrated  females  are  marked  in  the  ear ; 
to  mark  them  so,  is  to  heifer  them. 

Spales — Chips  ;  spales  d  the  cannle,  little  curls  of  tallow,  which 
sometimes  appear  on  a  burning  candle,  paid  some  attention 
to  by  the  superstitious. 

Spang — To  leap,  to  spring ;  spang-tade,  a  deadly  trick 
played  on  the  poor  toad  ;    a   small   board   is   laid  over  a 


SPA  SPI  433 

stone,  on  the  one  end  of  which  is  put  the  reptile;  the 
other  end  is  then  struck  by  a  hard  blow,  which  drives  the 
toad  into  the  air,  and  when  it  falls  it  is  generally  quite 
dead.  Spang-mWy  any  thing  quite  new ;  spang- fire-neuf^ 
the  same;  spanging^  leaping;  spangte,  an  animal  fond  of 
leaping. 

Spanker — ^A  tall,  well-made  woman;  spankering  hizzie^  a 
tall,  nimble  girl. 

Sparrables — Hob-nails  for  shoes. 

Spartle — ^To  kick  with  the  feet,  to  paw. 

Spate — A  large  fall  of  rain,  a  spout. 

Spawls — Legs ;  spawldrochie^  long-legged. 

Speddart — A  tough  old  creature,  tight  as  a  wire;  speedart, 
the  spider. 

Speil — To  climb ;  also,  any  sort  of  play  or  game ;  thus  a  boor 
who  takes  his  meat  well  is  said  to  play  a  good  speil  at  the 
porridge  coag. 

Spelks — Sharp  speals  or  points  of  iron,  starting  off  from  the 
mass  it  belongs  to ;  spelked,  ragged  wood. 

Spell  and  Spell — ^Tum  by  turn;  working  so  at  labour. 
Spindrift — The  spume  of  the  sea;  the  spray. 

BEN  SPINDRIFT,  THE  OLD  PILOT. 

Ay,  yonder  is  Ben  Spindrift, 

Launching  his  little  boat, 
Adown  the  beach  beneath  the  clift, 

Now  he  has  it  afloat. 

Off  he  shoves  a  sculling, 

Where  does  he  mean  to  steer  ? 
Now  he  strips  and 's  pulling, 

The  good  old  Timoneer. 

His  bonnet,  too,  he's  doffing. 

He  means  to  have  a  trip. 
Away  out  to  the  offing, 

To  meet  a  foreign  ship. 

And  safely  in  he'll  bring  her. 

O'er  sand-bank  and  bar. 
And  on  the  cables  swing  her, 

Were  she  a  man  of  war. 

2  E 


434  SPl  SPI 

A  cannon  is  heard  roaring 

A  little  to  the  lea  ; 
Ay,  yonder  cometh  snoring, 

A  vessel  from  the  sea. 

The  pilot's  flag's  down  hauling, 

For  Ben  has  got  aboard, 
And's  on  his  trumpet  bawling. 

To  watchful  tars  the  word. 

The  captain's  minding  nothing, 

Good  Ben's  the  captain  now  ; 
See  how  the  brine  is  frothing, 

And  rising  o'er  the  bow. 

Up  in  the  breeze  they  heave  her. 

The  anchor's  'neath  the  tide, 
Now  old  Ben  doth  leave  her. 

The  captain  by  his  side. 

O  was  my  little  reason 

As  good  a  pilot's  Ben, 
Through  the  most  stormy  season, 

I  right  could  steer  me  then. 

On  rocks  I'd  ne'er  be  crashing. 

And  weeping  with  despair, 
But  merrily  on  be  dashing, 

So  trig  and  debonair. 

Sleep  soundly  on  my  pillow. 

My  conscience  would  not  sting, 
And  on  each  surging  billow 

Of  life  I'd  sit  and  sing. 

None  like  me  for  a  steerer. 

Then  moralists  would  see ; 
For  no  jiber  nor  no  jeerer. 

Would  then  e'er  pester  me. 

Through  mankind  ever  mobbing. 

How  would  I  jog  along. 
My  heart  most  softly  throbbing, 

My  fancy  ever  strong. 

Earth  would  delight  to  have  me, 

I'd  then  be  no  outcast. 
Heaven  with  joy  would  save  me, 

And  lead  me  home  at  last. 

Spinnleshanks — A  creature  with  small  legs. 

Spinnling  —  Grain    is    said    to    be    spinnling^    when    it   i 

shooting. 
Spirg — As  much  liquid  as  will  moisten  one*s  lips. 
Spirnlings — Small  burntrouts. 
Spirran — An  old  female  of  the  nature  of  a  spider. 


SPI  STA  435 

Splae-feet — Feet  which  are  rather  inclined  to  let  their 
sides  appear  foremost ;  spleriner,  to  stride. 

Splatch — A  patch  of  dirt  j  sphit,  a  little  liquid  filth. 

Splinter-new — Any  thing  quite  new. 

Splunting — The  same  with  sproaging,  running  after  girls 
undernight  This  work  ran  higher  with  the  higher  ranks  in 
Galloway  once,  but  these  days  are  away. 

Spoutroch — Weak  thin  drink,  bad  whisky. 

Sprawchled — Sprawled ;  sprawchling^  sprawling. 

Sproozle — To  struggle,  sometimes  stroozle. 

Spruce — Very  neat  and  well-looking ;  a  young  fellow  is  said  to 

spruce  himself  up,  when  he  sets  forward  to  see  his  lass,  or  only 

darling. 

Spy-ann — A  game  of  hide  and  seek,  with  this  difference,  that 
when  those  are  found  who  are  hid,  the  finder  cries  spyann  ; 
and  if  the  one  discovered  can  catch  the  discoverer,  he  has  a 
ride  upon  his  back  to  the  dools, 

Squach — The  noise  a  hare  makes  when  a  killing. 

Squeef — A  bbckguard;  one  who  rails  against  woman,  and 
yet  is  fain  to  seduce  them.  I  hope  all  my  readers  are  per- 
fectly aware,  that  I  am  quite  on  the  womatis  side  always.  I 
have  no  sins  on  my  head,  thank  God,  for  injuring  innocent 
woman,  and  I  hope  never  shall.  He  is  no  maUy  say  I,  who 
triumphs  over  female  frailty. 

Squirr — To  skim  a  thin  stone  along  the  water. 

Staggie — Grain  is  said  to  grow  staggie,  when  it  grows  thin  ; 
stallyoch,  a  thick  stalk  of  grain  standing  by  itself;  stag^nli,  a 
person  who  staggers  in  walking. 

Stane-chacker — The  bird  stone-chatter,  for  why,  it  keeps 
chattering  about  rocks,  and  old  stone  walls.  This  bird  is 
much  detested  in  the  country,  because  it  is  said  to  be 
"  hatched  by  the  toad."  T/ie  fade  clocks  the  stane-chacker^ s 
eggSy  is  the  phrase,  which  may  be  partly  true,  as  the  toad  is 


436  STA STA 

often  found  in  its  nest,  for  they  make  their  nest  both  in  one 
hole.  It  is  singular  such  a  beautiful  bird  should  be  naturally 
fond  of  the  toad*s  dirty  mansion ;  but  so  it  is.  I  have  seen 
a  fair  and  good-looking  young  man  toy  with  one  lovely  female 
after  another,  until  his  gay  season  fled,  and  espousing  at  last 
an  old  harridan,  verifying  tlie  adage,  "  that  he  wba  is  ill  to 
please  will  land  in  the  dirt  at  last."  Now,  though  the  toad 
may  be  often  found  in  this  bird's  nest,  yet  its  body  is  of  too 
cold  a  nature  to  hatch  its  eggs.  In  the  country  they  look  at 
this  bird  with  the  same  sensations,  almost,  that  they  do  at  a 
female  prostitute;  they  imagine  it  chatters  the  following 
rhyme,  and  its  injunctions  are  obeyed : — 

"  Stane  Chack,  devil  tak' 

"  They  wha  heme  my  nest, 

**  Will  never  rest,  will  meet  the  pest, 

**  De'il  brak*  their  lang  back, 

*'  Wha  my  eggs  would  tak,  tak.** 

Stanegraze — A  bruise  from  a  stone. 

Stan  ERA w — A  yellow-coloured  moss  which  grows  on  rocks, 
and  is  used  in  dyeing. 

Stank-lochens — Dead  lakes,  covered  with  grass ;  duck-/iaunts; 
stank-henSy  water-hens. 

Stammager — A  busk :  a  slip  of  stay-wood,  used  by  females. 

Stapples — Thatch  made  in  handfuls,  for  thatching. 

Starn — A  small  quantity  of  any  thing ;  same  with  syne. 

Star    o'    Dungvle — A  few  years  ago,   the    most    beautiful 

woman  in  Galloway  was  a  Miss  H ;  her  father  was  a 

laird.  Keltonhill  fair  was  often  by  her  laid  in  dust  and 
ashes,  for  no  girl  was  looked  at  or  admired  in  all  the  fair 

but  Miss  H .      The  celebrated   Maggy   Lauder  never 

so  much  attracted  the  attention  of  the  crowds  in  Ansier 
Loan^  whatever  Tennant  may  say  to  the  contrary.  Many 
and  many  a  Rob  the  Ranter  had  she;  her  featiu*es  ran 
exactly  in  the  curve  of  exquisite  beauty,  and  were  aliivTiys 
kept  in  the  most  enchanting  animation ;  her  eyes,  her  hair 


ST  A  ST  A  437 

her  lips,  were  the  most  charming  objects  man  could  behold 
— they  set  the  most  callous  a  burning  with  love  !  every  move- 
ment she  made  was  of  the  most  attracting  and  engaging 
nature.  The  Irishmen  from  Ballinasloe  would  have  left  both 
their  horses  and  oxen,  and  joined  the  crowd  that  followed 

Miss  H ,  bawling  out  "  By  J^apers,  sh^s  the  game  ;  O  ! 

honey,  if  I  had  thee  but  at  the  sweet  town  oi Limavadie ;^^ 
another,  "  By  the  Long  bridge  of  Belfast^  Barney's  eyes  never 
saw  such  a  girl ;  Td  fight  for  her  with  my  mother  of  the  sloe, 
till  all  the  bones  in  my  body  were  bettled  to  mummy."  The 
sons  of  yohn  Bull  beyond  the  Tweed  got  also  enamoured 

of  Miss  H J  but  the  good  boxer  or  bruiser  were  the  only 

persons  who  could  get  to  speak  to  her,  and  she  was  always 
fonder  of  that  class,  than  of  well-bred  rich-dressed  gentle- 
men. In  short,  for  all  her  beauty  and  elegance,  the  low 
and  mean  were  her  associates,  and  she  cared  not  what 
length  she  went  with  them  almost ;  would  lay  in  bams  with 
them  at  night,  put  on  beggar  weeds,  and  bade  farewell  to 
virtue  altogether,  and  bore  to  some  of  them  bastard  children  : 
yet,  for  all  this,  wherever  she  appeared  in  proper  array,  all 

Galloway  was  charmed  with  the  lovely  Miss  H .     Beauty 

of  the  very  first  order,  in  defiance  of  vice,  brought  her  always 
crowds  of  admirers,  who  obeyed  every  nod  of  her  head, 
every  wave  of  her  hand :  her  sway  was  truly  despotic  in  the 
world  of  gallantry.  A  strong  blacksmith^  who  could  not  get 
her  entirely  to  himself,  got  so  mortified,  that  he  would  off, 
and  perish  in  the  wilderness  of  Canada  for  her  sake  /  away 
he  went  to  the  banks  of  Lake  Huron,  but  was  not  there  long 

before  a  letter  followed  him  from  Miss  H ,  inviting  to 

return  again  to  Galloway,  and  she  would  assuredly  marry  him. 
Back  over  the  Atlantic  the  son  of  Vulcan  came,  true  to  her 
mandate ;  but  alas !  how  must  he  have  been  deceived  when 

the  dear  Miss  H disdained  to  look  or  speak  to  him?  Thus 

she  wielded  the  sceptre  of  love  !  He  afterwards  became  a 
gamekeeper,  and  she  really  married  an  old  cattle  dealer ,  who 


438  STA  SlI 

had  weeped  about  her  many  years  ;  to  whom  she  acted  the 
part  of  not  a  bad  wife — had  a  family — is  yet  living ;  but,  Hke 
the  celebrated  Afary  of  Buttermere,  the  beauty  of  Cumberland^ 
her  beauty  hath  entirely  fled  her  ;  she  will  be  remembered  in 
Galloway  not  only  by  the  songs  of  her  Laureates^  but  by 
hundreds  of  others,  years  unseen  yet ;  her  popular  name  was, 
"  The  Star  of  Dungxier 

The  following  verses  were  supposed  to  have  been  sung  by 
her  lover,  the  blacksmith,  when  coming  back  over  the  ocean — 

For  thee,  my  dear  Miss  H- 


ril  ride  out  outc  the  roaring  sea  ; 

0  !  happy  vvill  be  Gerron 

When  he  does  kiss  and  cuddle  thee. 

1  wad  come  to  thee,  Miss  H , 

Far,  far  ayont  America  ; 

Thou's  a*  and  a'  to  Gerron 
O  !  to  see  thee  and  Galloway. 

My  bonny  love,  Miss  H- 


For  thee  my  heart  does  melt  awa  ! 
O  !  were  ye  as  fond  o'  Gerron, 
Wad  ever  there  be  sic  a  twa  ! 

Staverall — A  bad  walking  foolish  person. 

Stawd — To  be  slawd^  to  be  satiated ;  to  feel  a  loathing. 

Sted — A  trace.  Fit-stcd,  a  foot  track,  such  as  Crusoe  startled 
at  on  the  sand.  Steding  d  houses,  the  ground  on  which  an 
onset  is  built. 

Steekers — Shoe  ties.     Sleek  your  ecn,  shut  your  eyes. 

Stegg — The  gander  goose.  Sfegging,  to  walk  like  a 
sfeg 

Stell — A  prop  ;  a  support.  Stell  your  feet,  fix  your  feet  so  as 
not  to  fall.  The  stell  d  the  stack,  the  stick  which  props  the 
stack. 

Sticket — Any  job  is  said  to  be  sticket  when  it  is  broke  off  in 
the  middle,  like  the  tail  of  the  Bear  and  tfie  Fiddle,  A 
speech  is  sticket  when  the  speaker  is  unable  to  proceed. 
The  captain  of  a  volunteer  body  once  sticked,  or  stuck  up 


STl  STR  439 

with  a  speech  he  had  framed  with  great  pains  for  a  gala-day  ; 
then  looked  he  into  his  hat,  where  it  lay  wrote  on  paper ; 
but  alas !  the  confusion  of  his  mind  ere  this  time  had  blinded 
him;  he  could  not  read  a  word,  but  retreated  in  a  lamentable 
situation. 

Stilch — A  young,  fat,  unwieldy  man. 

Stiveron — Any  very  fat  food,  such  as  that  of  a  haggis, 

Stog — One  with  a  stupid  kind  of  gait — stogging, 

Storg — A  large  pin.  Stotgingy  the  noise  a  pin  makes  rushing 
into  flesh. 

Stotts — Castrated  oxen  ;  the  stotts  mean  the  black  cattle.  A 
cattle  jobber  once  told  me,  that  he  would  rather  see  a  good 
stott  stirk  as  Buonaparte  !  all  men  to  their  fancy. 

Stowl  or  Stole — A  scion  from  a  root.  Thin-sown  com  on 
good  land  is  said  to  spread  by  stowling, 

Stowre — Dust.  A  person  at  a  diet  d  examine  once,  was  asked 
by  the  priest,  "What  he  was  made  of?"  he  forgot  the 
English  term  dust^  and  gave  the  Scotch,  stowre^  which  made 
the  diet  bm^t  into  laughter. 

Stragg — A  thin  growing  crop,  the  stalks  straggling. 

Stramash — ^A  battle;  a  broil;  a  battering  and  mashing  con- 
cern ;  the  same  with  siram  yulloch, 

Strang — Old  urine,  kept  in  the  Strang  pig,  and  used  in 
washing. 

Strapps — Bands  for  binding  grain  with.  Strapping  Hizzies, 
tight-bound  girls ;  females  of  a  strong,  well-knit  frame. 

Stravagers — Wanderers ;  beggars ;  idle  people. 

Streen — An  abridgement  of  yestreen,  or  yester  evening.  The 
streeti^s  milk,  the  milk  of  yester  evening. 

Stribbed — Milked  neatly.  Slribbings,  the  last  milk  that  can 
be  drawn  out  of  the  udder. 


440  STR  STR 

Strife  Riggs — Debateable  ground ;  patches  of  land  common 
to  all ;  land  which  none  is  laird  of. 

Striffan — Film,  thin  skin.     Siriffan  d  an  egg^  that  white  film 
inside  an  egg-shell. 

Stoing  o'  Wullgeese — A  string  of  wild  geese ;  these  birds 
come  to  us  from  the  Norlan  nations  in  strings. 

Frae  Baltic's  lided  sea  o'  sua', 
Or  frozen  loch  i'e  north  awa. 
Ye  cackling  come  fu'  merry  a* 

For  some  lee  shore, 
Whar  flysome  icebergs  dinna  bla, 

Nor  monsters  snore. 

Ye  come,  led  by  your  chosen  king, 

Some  champion  steg  wha  heads  your  string ; 

For  whan  ye  do  in  figure  fling 

Your  core,  I  see 
Him,  always  on  the  foremost  wing. 

Point-angle  he. 

The  Firth  wharin  he  once  did  dabble. 
Or  benty  flow,  he  used  to  gabble. 
And  after  paddocks  rais'd  a  jabble, 

Wi'  swattering  cheer ; 
Without  a  compass  he  is  able. 

There  straight  to  steer. 

I  see  ye  yet,  far  south,  south-west. 

Ye  mean  to  flee,  or  ye  will  rest ; 

Your  guide  kens  weel  what  place  is  best 

To  pai>s  the  night ; 
Now  motis  ye  seem,  now  clouds  molest, 

Ye  lae  my  sight. 

Again,  tho'  may  be  in  the  spring. 
Whan  ye  return  on  Norlan  wing, 
I'll  see  your  joyous  cackling  string; 

Sae  happy  a , 
By  me,  poor  soul,  wha  here  doth  sing 

My  griefs  awa. 

I'm  no  like  you,  can  flee  before 
The  wintry  hurricanes  that  roar. 
The  nipping  hail  that  galls  me  sore. 

The  frosts  and  snaws  ; 
But  here  I  maun  on  a  cauld  shore. 

Endure  what  blaws. 

Nor  can  I,  (like  ye)  whan  the  heat 
Begins  to  make  me  strip  and  sweat. 
To  caller  climates  fast  retreat, 

WTiar  Sol's  returning ; 
But  pant  below  his  beams,  that  beat 

In  summer  burning. 


STR SUG  441 

It's  queer  indeed  to  think  o'  man, 

For  a'  we  plot,  for  a*  we  plan  ; 

And  toil  dreigh  wi'  the  head  and  han, 

To  bide  the  weather  ; 
The  wild  geese  (let's  do  a'  we  can) 

Are  snugger  rather. 

Like  them,  we  canna  change  our  clime 
Whan  we  think  fit,  at  any  time. 
To  riot  on  the  best  sublime 

That  suits  our  maw  ; 
We're  villains,  chained  for  a  crime. 

To  fret  and  thraw. 

But,  tho'  that  be  our  wretched  state. 

Let  us  enjoy'd  at  any  rate. 

And  winch  not  'neath  the  lash  of  fate, 

Wi'  sobbing  moans ; 
God  surely  ne'er  did  us  create. 

To  hear  our  groans. 

Then  grim  November  round  me  scowl. 
Ye  lapperd  clouds  conglobe  and  roll. 
Ye  gurly  blasts  remorseless  howl 

O'er  land  and  sea ; 
I  hope  Heaven  has  gaen  me  a  soul 

To  manly  dree. 

Strood^ — ^Very  old  shoes. 

Strum — The  first  draw  of  a  fiddle-bow  over  the  fiddle- 
strings. 

**  Dirdum,  drum, 

"  Three  threads  and  a  thrum." 

Cat^ssong, 

Stryne — To  strain.     Strytid  iegs^  sprained  legs. 

Stumpie — A  little  good-natured  creature. 

Stunch — ^A  lump  of  food,  such  as  of  beef  and  bread. 

Stunner — A  big  foolish  man.  Stunner  d  a  gowk^  a  mighty 
fool. 

Sturdy — A  disorder  with  sheep ;  also  a  plant  which  grows 
amongst  com,  which,  when  eaten,  causes  giddiness  and 
torpidity  to  come  on. 

Sturnill — An  ill  turn ;  a  back-set. 

Styme — A  little  light ;  a  gleam.  /  canna  see  a  styme,  I  cannot 
see  the  least  glimmer  of  light 

SUGGAN — ^A  thick  bed-coverlid.     Tawted  rug,  the  same. 


442  SUG  SYZ 

SuGGiE  Lan — Wet  land.     Sump^  a  great  fall  of  rain.     Sumped^ 
to  be  wet: — 

Since  the  hour  of  my  birth,  on  this  wearisome  earth, 
Tve  been  tumbled  and  toss'd  to  and  fro  ; 
But  now  with  the  dead,  I  must  lay  down  my  head. 
On  this  bluid  sumped  field — Waterloo. 

The  z*eterat^  s  farewell. 

SuppiE  Mae — The  name  for  a  pet  sheep. 

SwACK — Plenty  and  good.     Swcuking  noiot,  fat  large  animals 

Swag — To  swing.     Swagging^  swinging. 

Swamped — An  animal  is  said  to  be  swamped  when  it  seems 

clung,  or  clinkei,  or  thin  in  the  belly. 
Swatter — ^To  swim  close  together  in  the  water,  like  young 

ducks. 
SwATTRocH — Strong  soup,  excellent  food. 
SwuLL — A  large  swell.     Swallings,  swellings.     Swaultie^  a  fat 

animal. 
SwEER  Tree — A  trial  of  strength.     Two  persons  sit  down  feet 

to  feet,  and  catch  a  stick  with  their  hands ;  then,  whoever 

lifteth  the  other  is  the  strongest 

SwEiL — Any  thing  which  hath  a  circular  motion. 

Swinge — To  lash. 

Swingle  Trees — The  wood  beams  by  which   horses   draw 

ploughs  and  harrows. 
Syling — Sieving  milk  through  a  syle  ;  a  fluid  sieve. 
SvPLE — A  saucy,  big-bellied  person. 
Symion-Brodie — A  toy  for  children  ;  a  cross  stick. 
Syzzie — To   shake.      He  na'er  syzzied  me,   he   never  shook 

me  : — 

Misfortune,  fire  away,  ye  bitch  I 

Come  level  well,  and  \'izzie  me  ; 
For  fear  o'  thee  I  shall  not  flinch, 

The  de'il  e'en  cudna  syzzie  me. 

Yestreen  I  met  a  gruesome  witch, 

She  wi'  her  breath  did  whizzie  me  ; 
Then  ne.ith  the  lug  lent  me  a  litch, 

Gude  faith,  the  whap  did  dizzie  me. 

IVarlocHs  Wadding, 


TAG TAM  443 


T. 


Tacking — A  taking,  a  prize,     ffcf ring-tack,  a  herring  shoal. 

IVend — When  schoolboys  catch  one  another  in  their  games, 
they  lay  their  hands  on  the  heads  of  the  one  caught ; 
this  ceremony  is  termed  taening  or  taking:  a  catcher  has 
often  more  trouble  in  doing  this,  than  in  catching.  After 
a  runner  is  taend,  he  is  not  allowed  to  run  any  more  in  that 
game. 

Taff-dyke — A  fence  made  of  turf. 

Tahie — Moist ;  tahie,  or  dahie  day,  a  warm  misty  day. 

Tailill — A  distemper  common  with  cows.  The  tail  is  some- 
times cut  quite  away,  ere  a  cure  be  effected. 

Tallow-leaf — The  leaf  of  fat  which  envelops  the  inwards  of 
animals.  When  an  ox  or  a  sheep  has  a  gude  tallow-leaf,  it 
is  considered  to  have  fed  weel,  and  to  be  deep  on  the  rib, 
Tallow-pou'k,  a  bag  through  which  melted  tallow  is  strained 
when  refining ;  this  po^vk  is  much  used  on  the  day  o*  the 
cannle-making,  formerly  a  great  day  in  household  matters. 
I  may  give  a  list  of  the  other  celebrated  days.  "The 
day  o'  sauting  tJie  beef,  the  day  o'  brewing,  the  washing  day, 
and  the  one  in  which  the  cheese  is  made,  termed,  the 
sweetmilfur'^' — 

*'  Her  tallonu-porwk  hide,  she  scryng'd  in  the  tide." 

People  with  tanny  skins  are  said  "  to  hae  hides  as  din  as 
the  tallo7v-powkr 

Tamous  Kinnigham  —  Mr.  Thomas  Cunningham,  brother 
of  Allan,  a  writer  from  his  youth,  well-kno^vn  in  the  Scot- 
tish Magazine,  signing  himself  there  Thomas  Killigrew, 
His  chief  article  is  the  Bride  d  Balauchan,  full  of  excel- 
lent humour.  This  gentleman  is  a  native  of  Galloway, 
but  has  long  been  one  of  the  Londoners;   still  the  affec- 


444  TAM TEN 

tion  for  the  land  oi  blue  heather  is  strong,  and  the  scenes  of  his 
youth  flash  brightly  before  the  fancy.  Like  his  brother,  he  is  a 
poet,  and  one  too  of  considerable  pith ;  his  strain  is  ratherlj 
comic,  that  of  Allan's  melancholy.  Mr.  T.  could  write  a 
famous  comedy  would  he  try  it,  but-like  the  great  writers  of 
the  age,  he  detests  the  stage.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  he  will 
give  us  another  "  She  stoops  to  Conquer ;  "  no  present  writer, 
perhaps,  could  do  this  much  better,  he  having  at  command 
such  a  fund  of  contented  humour,  and  an  extent  of  informa- 
tion respecting  the  ways  of  the  world  which  is  endless. 

Tam-o'-tae-End — The  prince  of  the  pudding  tribe^  the  hag^ 
being  king.  It  hath  but  one  open  end;  hence  the  name  Tam 
of  the  one  end. 

Tantrums — Foolish  fancies ;  the  same  with  Doldrums, 

Taploch — ^Tawploch,  or  tawpie,  a  giddy-brain  girl. 

Tap  o'  Tow — A  head  of  flax;  anything  of  fiery  nature;  a 
quick-tempered  person,  like  flax,  easily  kindled. 

Tathing — Manuring  land,  by  confining  cattle  on  it. 

Ted — To  toss ;  tedding  hay^  tossing  hay ;  tedding  alang^  tossing 
along. 

Tee — A  mark  to  be  played  for.  Teedling,  singing  a  tune 
without  accompanying  it  with  the  words;  tce-heej  a  fool's 
laugh.  The  goaf  was  tee-hecing,  the  fool  was  at  his  mer- 
riment 

Teevoo — A  young  man  who  flashes  about  with  ladies,  but  has 
no  great  aff*ection  for  them ;  one  who  learns  the  rules  of 
affection,  who  s^ueethearfs  with  warmness  seemingly;  who 
goes  a  larking  as  others  do,  but  never  feels  the  genuine 
throbs  of  love  :  with  him  it  is  as  the  play  actors  say,  "  All  my 
eye  and  Betty  Martin." 

Temper-pin — A  pin  which  tempereth  machinery. 

Tennrills — Dry  twigs ;    tender  or  tenner  matters,    tendrils. 


TET  THO  445 

Tetuz — Any  thing  tender ;  a  delicate  person. 

Teypard — Tapered  ;  a  high  frail  building  is  said  to  be  a 
teypard  biggin, 

Thacking  Spurkle — A  broad-mouthed  stick  for  thatching  with. 

Tharty — Thirty,  the  number,  sometimes  thratty ;  Irish, 
thurty, 

Thiggers — People  who  thigg^  are  those  who  beg  in  a  genteel 
way ;  who  have  their  houses  they  call  at  in  certain  seasons, 
and  get  com,  and  other  little  things. 

Thirlage — A  species  of  slavery.  Many  farmers  are  yet 
thirled  to  certain  nulls,  being  obliged  to  have  their  com 
ground  in  these,  and  in  no  other,  or  else  to  pay  the  millers 
of  such  a  certain  annual  sum  in  money.  They  were  brought 
under  this  bondage  first  when  mills  in  the  country  were  rare, 
when  a  few  lairds  subscribed  to  build  and  uphold  a  mill. 
In  this  way  many  mills  were  built,  and  all  erected  by  such 
compactions  are  thirling  mills, 

Thoum — ^Thumb.  Thmim-syme^  an  instrument  for  twist- 
ing ropes,  a  thrawcrook;  thoum-rapes^  ropes  twisted  on 
the  thumb — 

TTiey  wha  canna  make  a  thoum-rape 

O'  thratty  thrmvs  and  three  ; 
Isna  worth  their  mett,  I  wot, 

Nor  yet  their  penny  fee. 

Auld  say. 

Thow — Thaw.  Thaia-hole,  a  name  for  the  south,  for  the 
wind  generally  blows  out  of  the  south  in  the  time  of  a 
thaw — 

The  mermaids  can  ought  thole, 
Butywj/  out  o*  the  thow  hoU, 

Auld  superstitious  say. 

Indeed,  frost,  when  the  wind  blows  from  the  south,  is 
most  severe  with  cold  of  any  from  any  other  quarter ;  it  is 
an  unnatural  cold. 


446  THR  THR 

Thrawen-days — Name  for  a  petted  child  ;  sometimes,  auid 
thrawen  days. 

Thread  o*  Blue — Any  little  smutty  touch  in  song-singing, 
chatting,  or  piece  of  writing ;  perhaps  there  n)ay  be  a  few  in 
this  book,  but  if  modesty  is  not  absolutely  insulted,  these,  if 
not  too  gross,  are  not  fraught  with  much  harm :  all  worb 
which  stand  the  test  of  ages  are  not  free  of  these  threads, 
even  the  Bibk  itself  is  not  clear.  When  nature  is  followed 
close,  it  is  almost  impossible  to  avoid  them — 

O  !  thev  who  feel  the  pith  and  flame 
Of  manly  strength,  obtaineth  fame. 
Who  look  to  neither  left  nor  right. 
But  dash  on  forward,  full  of  might ; 
Who  scorn  to  take  a  hint,  a  plan. 
From  humble  creature — mortal  man, 
Feel  those  delights  felt  by  the  brave, 
Who  scorn  like  hell  the  sorry  slave, 
Who  for  themselves  will  ever  think. 
And  do  the  will  in  prose  or  clink, 
Which  still  shall  be  the  way  with  me. 
Though  poor  or  richt,  I  shall  be  free. 

Thridd — ^Third.  "Twa  part  and  thridd^'  the  two-thirds  of 
any  thing ;  anciently,  the  quarter-staff  was  held  "  twa-part 
and  thridd,"  one  third  part  of  it  beneath  hand,  the  other 
iwo-thirds  above.     Thus  the  way,  when — 

*'  Robin  Hood,  in  the  gTeenwood  stood, 
**  Amang  his  mercy  men  all." 

Thirst — Thirst     Thirsty  thrapplCy  thirsty  throat — 

**  Thy  thirsty  thrapple  nought  can  sloken, 
**  Nae  imp  in  hell  thy  visage  gloken." 

CocM'leary'lay. 

Throch-stanes — Those  oblong  stones  which  stand  horizontally 
above  graves,  not  the  vertical  ones  ;  the  headstones. 

Through-bands — The  long  stones  which  bind  dykes. 
Through-gaiift,  one  who  reflects  little,  but  dashes  away,  is 
a  through-gaun  person.  Through-the-wud,  taddie,  a  phrase 
much  the  same  with  craw-plucking.  Throok  the  wyle,  the 
thrawcrooky  the  tivister. 


THR  THR  447 

Thryst — A  promise  to  do  any  thing,  a  kind  of  vow;  to  set  a 
t/trysty  to  make  a  promise  to  perform  something  at  a  certain 
place  and  time:  a  young  man  and  an  old  maid  once 
set  a  thryst  to  meet  one  evening,  and  have  some  private 
confab  with  other  in  a  glen ;  she  was  punctual  to  the  hour, 
and  so  he,  but  his  intentions  were  different  from  her's ;  he 
kept  himself  concealed,  to  observe  her  motions,  while  she 
longed  to  behold  him ;  at  length,  despairing  of  his  appear- 
ance, she  uttered  the  following,  in  great  wrath — 

*•  O  !  Rab,  O  !  Rab,  shal't  thou  make  me  sab, 

**  Thou  beardless  boy,  sae  slee ; 
"  Na  down  my  face,  for  thy  cunning  race, 

**  A  tear  shanna  flow  frae  me. 
'*  Nettles  be  thy  bed,  on  soot  be  ye  fed, 

**  And  may  thy  bonny  gill  pie,  Nell, 
"  Entice  ye  advise,  till  Nickie  Een  will  prize  ye, 

**  And  yomf  ye  head  foremost  to  hell. 

Throwing  the  Hoshen — At  weddings,  when  the  time  of 
bedding  comes  on,  the  yovng  fcm^k  are  surrounded  by  the 
people  at  the  wedding,  to  witness  the  ceremony ;  one  part 
of  which  is,  that  the  bride  takes  the  stocking  off  her  left 
leg,  and  flings  it  at  random  amongst  the  crowd,  and  who- 
ever it  happens  to  hit  will  be  the  first  of  them  who  will 
get  married.  This  custom  prevails  too  in  Ireland ;  see  the 
song  of  Paddy's  Weddings  O,  While  on  this  subject,  I 
may  mention  a  thing  connected  with  wedlock,  which  is  not 
very  well  known  in  the  middle  parts  of  Galloway,  but 
common  away  by  the  border.  \Vhen  a  young  woman  gets  a 
husband  before  her  sister,  who  is  older,  this  sister,  at  her 
wedding,  must  dance  without  shoes  on  her  feet.  In  a 
lovely  little  original  poem,  termed  Malliis  Wadding  Day, 
by  an  Annandale  lady  of  native  poetic  genius,  the  following 
verses  hit  this  affair — 

**  O  !  how  can  I  be  biyth  and  gay, 
'*  Whan  this  is  Mallies  wadding  day, 
**  For  I  should  yirVj/  ha'e  been  away  ? 

"  O  .'  she  has  beat  me  clean." 


448  THR  THR 

"  Alas  !  puir  me,  what  will  I  do, 

'*  This  dav  maun  dance  without  a  shoe 

•*  Maun  thole  the  scorn  o'  a*  fowk  too  ? 

**  And  lie  my  lane  ateen,  O  ! " 

Of  all  the  songs  and  poems  belonging  to  the  south  of 
Scotland  which  have  come  through  my  rummaging  hand, 
(and  many  a  worthy  bunch  have),  not  any  of  female  com- 
position have  taken  my  taste  half  so  much  as  those  of  the 
young  lady  lately  mentioned;  and  though  modesty  holds 
my  tongue  from  telling  her  name,  I  cannot  refrain  from 
letting  the  world  have  a  little  peep  at  her  poetic  talents, 
which,  if  cultivated  perhaps  a  little  more,  bid  fair  for  giv- 
ing Scotland  another  Miss  Bailly,  or  one  with  power  equal 
to  her,  though  directed  in  quite  a  different  way.  In  her 
farewell  td  Kinmount  witness  the  tenderness,  feel  the 
feeling — 

Dear  frien's,  I  now  maun  bid  adieu 
To  a*  my  native  scenes  and  you. 
My  sunny  haunts,  whan  life  was  new, 

O  !  I  maun  gang  and  leave  ye. 

Dear  Annandale,  a  garland's  due. 
Fain  wad  I  wreath  it  fair  for  you, 
For  aft  your  vale  I've  wandered  through, 

Now  I  maim  gang  and  leave  ye. 

Fair  Kinmount  woods,  where  aft  I  stray *d 
And  seen  the  leaves  aft  bud  and  fade  ; 
Fareweel  now  to  your  rustic  shade. 

For  I  maun  gang  and  leave  thee. 

Nae  mair  maun  Criffle  I  descry. 
And  Skidda  through  the  hazy  sky, 
Nae  mair  the  Firth  glide  smoothly  by, 
O  !  wae  am  I  to  leave  ye. 

Wae  am  I  to  gang  away, 

Hut  while  my  fancy  it  can  stray. 

Thy  image  never  will  decay 

Tho'  I  maun  gang  and  leave  ye, 

Fareweel,  I  lea  my  calm  retreats 

For  dusky  domes,  and  crowded  streets, 

My  heart  with  throbbing  sorrow  beats, 

O  !  maun  I  gang  an*  leave  ye? 


THU  TOD  449 

Thudd — A  blow;  "to  fa'  wi'  a  thudd,'  to  fall,  and  cause  a 
noise  like  thudd^  to  start. 

Thunner — Thunder  ;  thunner-plump,  a  thunder-shower. 
TTmnner-speal,  a  board  with  a  string  in  end ;  when  whirled 
round  in  the  air,  it  causes  a  thundering  sound.  Thunnery 
weather^  weather  pregnant  with  thunder. 

Tickers — Little  fiery  pimples,  young  whisky  tackets,  girrons. 

Tick — A  sheep-louse  ;  tickings  the  noise  of  a  watch. 

TiD — Inclination  ;  the  inspiration,  of  small  duration. 

Tift — Anything  as  it  ought  to  be.  A  poet's  muse  is  in  tift 
when  she  sings  well ;  com  also  is  in  tift  when  it  is  dry,  viz., 
in  tift  to  lead, 

TiGG-TOw — To  touch  and  go,  to  be  off  and  on,  neither  serious 
nor  merry ;  to  tigg  tow  wV  a  lass,  to  seem  inclined  to  marry 
her,  yet  to  hang  off;  it  is  a  shame  to  use  females  so ;  to  run 
lengths  with  them,  and  then  come  retrograde.  To  tig-tow 
with  talents,  to  show  the  world  a  part  and  keep  a  part,  to 
seem  to  range  through  the  regions  of  genius,  and  all  of  a 
sudden  to  dart  into  a  brock-hole.  "  To  show  the  fins  of  the  dol- 
phin," to  flash  whiles  in  silk,  then  hotter  dhoMt  in  hodden  grey, 

TiLLiE-CLAY — Cold  clay,  unproductive  soil;  the  heart  that 
never  felt  love,  is  said  to  be  a  piece  of  tillie  clay ;  tillie  licks, 
taunts  and  sneers. 

Ti  MM  ERIN — A  beating  with  a  stick. 

Tinkler's-tippence — Useless  cash,  money  full  of  harm. 

TiRLiES — Little  circular  stoppages  in  pathways  which  turn 
round. 

TiRRAN — A  tyrant ;  a  tirrivee  ;  a  painful  bustle ;  a  commotion 
of  strife.     Tissle,  a  struggle  ;  same  with  dissle, 

ToD-DYKES — Dogs  half  foxes,  half  common  dogs ;  shep- 
herds tether  their  het  bitches  about  fox-haunts,  and  so  this 
breed  of  dogs  is  acquired;  they  are  said  to  be  excellent 
hunters.     Tod-tracks,  the  traces  of  the  fox's  feet  in  snow; 

2  F 


448  THR  THR 

**  Alas  !  puir  me,  what  will  I  do, 

**  This  dav  maiin  dance  without  a  shoe 

**  Maun  thole  the  scorn  o'  a*  fowk  too? 

**  And  lie  my  lane  ateen,  O  ! " 

Of  all  the  songs  and  poems  belonging  to  the  south  of 
Scotland  which  have  come  through  my  rummaging  hand, 
(and  many  a  worthy  bunch  have),  not  any  of  female  com- 
position have  taken  my  taste  half  so  much  as  those  of  the 
yoimg  lady  lately  mentioned ;  and  though  modesty  holds 
my  tongue  from  telling  her  name,  I  cannot  refrain  from 
letting  the  world  have  a  little  peep  at  her  poetic  talents, 
which,  if  cultivated  perhaps  a  little  more,  bid  fair  for  giv- 
ing Scotland  another  Miss  Bailly,  or  one  with  power  equal 
to  her,  though  directed  in  quite  a  different  way.  In  her 
farewell  td  Kinmount  witness  the  tenderness,  feel  the 
feeling — 

Dear  friends,  I  now  maun  bid  adieu 
To  a*  my  native  scenes  and  you, 
My  sunny  haunts,  whan  life  was  new, 

O  !  I  maun  gang  and  leave  ye. 

Dear  Annandale,  a  garland's  due, 
Fain  wad  I  wreath  it  fair  for  you, 
For  aft  your  vale  I've  wander'd  through, 

Now  I  maun  gang  and  leave  ye. 

Fair  Kinmotint  woods,  where  aft  I  stray'd 
And  seen  the  leaves  aft  bud  and  fade  ; 
Fareweel  now  to  your  rustic  shade. 

For  I  maun  gang  and  leave  thee. 

Nae  mair  maun  Criffle  I  descry. 
And  Skidda  through  the  hazy  sky, 
Nae  mair  the  Firth  glide  smoothly  by, 
O  !  wae  am  I  to  leave  ye. 

Wae  am  I  to  gang  away, 

I5ut  while  my  fancy  it  can  stray. 

Thy  image  never  will  decay 

Tho'  I  maun  gang  and  leave  ye, 

Fareweel,  I  lea  my  calm  retreats 

For  dusky  domes,  and  crowded  streets, 

My  heart  with  throbbing  sorrow  beats, 

O  !  maun  I  gang  an'  leave  ye? 


THU  TOD  449 

Thudd — A  blow ;  "  to  fa'  wi*  a  thudd^'  to  fall,  and  cause  a 
noise  like  thudd^  to  start. 

Thunner — ^Thunder  ;  thunner-plump,  a  thunder-shower, 
Tkunnerspeaiy  a  board  with  a  string  in  end ;  when  whirled 
round  in  the  air,  it  causes  a  thundering  sound.  Thunnery 
weather,  weather  pregnant  with  thunder. 

TiCHERS — Little  fiery  pimples,  young  whisky  tackets,  girrons. 

Tick — A  sheep-louse  /  ticking,  the  noise  of  a  watch. 

TiD — Inclination  ;  the  inspiration,  of  small  duration. 

Tift — Anything  as  it  ought  to  be.  A  poet's  muse  is  in  ti/t 
when  she  sings  well ;  com  also  is  in  tift  when  it  is  dry,  viz., 
in  tift  to  lead, 

TiGG-TOw — To  touch  and  go,  to  be  off  and  on,  neither  serious 
nor  merry ;  to  tigg  taiv  7vV  a  lass,  to  seem  inclined  to  marry 
her,  yet  to  hang  off;  it  is  a  shame  to  use  females  so ;  to  run 
lengths  with  them,  and  then  come  retrograde.  To  tig-taw 
with  talents,  to  show  the  world  a  part  and  keep  a  part,  to 
seem  to  range  through  the  regions  of  genius,  and  all  of  a 
sudden  to  dart  into  a  brock-hole,  "  To  show  the  fins  of  the  dol- 
phin," to  flash  whiles  in  silk,  then  hotter  ^ibowi  in  hodden  grey. 

TiLLiE-CLAY — Cold  clay,  unproductive  soil ;  the  heart  that 
never  felt  love,  is  said  to  be  a  piece  of  ti/lie  clay ;  tillie  licks, 
taunts  and  sneers. 

TiMMERiN — A  beating  with  a  stick. 

Tinkler's-tippence — Useless  cash,  money  full  of  harm. 

TiRLiES — Little  circular  stoppages  in  pathways  which  turn 
round. 

TiRRAN — A  tyrant ;  a  tirrivee  ;  a  painful  bustle ;  a  commotion 
of  strife.     Tissle,  a  struggle  ;  same  with  dissle, 

ToD-DYKES — Dogs  half  foxes,  half  common  dogs ;  shep- 
herds tetJur  their  het  bitches  about  fox-haunts,  and  so  this 
breed  of  dogs  is  acquired;  they  are  said  to  be  excellent 
hunters.     Tod-tracks,  the  traces  of  the  fox's  feet  in  snow; 

2  F 


450  TOM  TOO 

he  is  such  a  regular  walking  animal,  that  by  the  marks  of 
his  feet  he  seems  to  have  but  two,  for  why,  he  sets  his  hind 
feet  exactly  in  the  track  of  the  fore  ones.  Tod-touzing,  the 
Scottish  method  of  hunting  the  fox,  by  shooting,  bustling, 
guarding,  halloaing,  &c.,  famous  fun,  without  a  regular  plaa 

Tomer  ALL — A  horse  two  years  old  ;  a  young  cout  or  staig. 

TooM-SKiN*D — Hungry ;  a  person  so  is  said  to  be  ioom- 
skin'd ;  toom,  empty  ;  tommacks,  little  hillocks  ;  to  ioom  out, 
to  pour  out,  to  make  empty. 

TooRRiN — Hay  is  said  to  be  toorrin,  when  it  rises  on  the  rake 
in  raking ;  a  fire  is  also  said  to  be  so  when  blazing  freely. 
Toorish,  a  dairy-maids  term  to  the  cows  when  she  wishes 
them  to  stand  still. 

Toot — To  drink  ;  to  toot  over,  to  drink  over  \  toot,  to  sound  a 
horn,  or  the  sound  of  a  horn. 

TooTiN-HORN — A  bullock's  horn,  with  the  heart  out  of 
it,  used  for  blowing  or  "  tootin "  through,  about  some 
farm-houses ;  these  horns  are  much  in  use  in  the  harvest- 
time,  such  as  about  meal-times,  and  create  some  hilarity. 
Two  Scotch  soldiers  having  got  a  month's  furlough  from 
their  regiment,  quartered  somewhere  in  England,  to  go 
and  see  their  friends  beyond  the  Tweed,  set  off  from  the 
barracks  in  high  spirits  ;  but  alas  !  poor  fellows,  before  they 
had  joumied  far  to  the  north,  poverty  beset  them,  "and 
the  devil  and  all  his  witches  danced  in  their  poor  pouches." 
No  manner  of  relief  then  could  they  find,  but  to  sing 
undemight  for  ^'^  bau*hecs''  in  the  large  towns  on  their 
way  ;  and  it  was  all  they  were  able  this  way  to  procure  as 
much  cash  as  keeped  in  the  life  ;  for  one  of  them  could 
sing  little  or  none,  and  the  other  was  not  good  at  it 
However,  the  one  who  could  not  sing  was  a  trumpeter,  and 
by  good  luck  had  his  tootin-horn''  with  him,  which  often 
got  them  a  dinner,  when  sharply  beset  with  hunger.  One 
night,  though,  as  they  were  reposing  themselves  in  a  bam 


TOO TOW  451 

in  the  neighbourhood  of  Kendal,  they  felt  their  stomachs 
a-biting  confoundedly,  and  were  just  on  the  point  of 
starting  and  catching  the  first  thing  of  food  kind  they  would 
meet  with,  exclaiming,  "  they  wha  winna  ficht  for  their  meat, 
winna  ficht  for  their  king ; "  when  the  barn-door  was  flung 
open,  and  a  large  party  of  people  entered,  who  instantly 
struck  up  lights,  and  loaded  a  long  table  they  brought  in 
with  various  viands  of  luscious  dainties,  the  "  imry  "  of  which 
went  up  the  noses  of  the  red-coated  lads  like  electricity. 
This  was  a  religious  sect,  somewhat  of  the  epicurean  order, 
who  mingled  eating,  drinking,  and  other  good  cheer  with 
their  holy  concerns.  The  lads  lay  in  the  straw  as  quiet  as 
mice  in  a  mill,  and  observed  their  movements ;  one  of  the 
club  got  on  his  legs,  and  harangued  at  no  small  rate,  with 
a  loud  voice,  rounding  his  sentences  always  with  these  words, 
"  When  the  archangel  shall  sound  the  last  and  awful  trum- 
pet : "  our  soldier,  hearing  this,  the  singer  of  them  muttered 
to  his  comrade,  the  trumpeter,  "  gie  them  a  toot  man,  Tam, 
whan  he  says  that  again."  Tam  agreed,  and  just  as  the 
preacher  was  concluding  one  of  his  long  breaths  as  before, 
the  trumpeter  sounded  one  of  his  marches,  in  its  highest  key, 
when  out  of  the  house  rolled  the  congregation,  in  the  utmost 
disorder,  leaving  behind  them  the  whole  of  the  un tasted  feast 
to  the  famished  soldiers,  who  leaped  from  the  straw,  welcom- 
ing the  same  in  the  most  gracious  manner.  And  after  they 
had  bounded  their  sides  for  once  with  the  fat  of  the  land,  they 
crammed  full  their  knapsacks,  and  went  whistling  away, 
rejoicing,  "Blue  Bonnets  owre  the  Border;"  nor  forgetting, 
for  many  a  long  day  afterwards,  the  good  turn  of  the 
tootin-horn. 

TosHOCH — A  comfortable  looking  young  person,   from   iosh^ 
happy. 

ToviE — The  same  with  tozie^  warm  and  comfortable ;  blowzie- 
looking,  with  drinking  warm  drink. 


452  TOW  -         TRO 

TowK — A  bustle,  a  set-to.  I  had  an  unco  toiok  wi'  a  de'ils  bairn ; 
taivk^  a  take  up  in  ladies*  clothing ;  taialie,  a  toll-keeper. 

TowTS — The  same  with  hawts;  taotlie^  unsteady ;  toothfii  e 
drink,  a  quantity  of  drink  for  the  drinking. 

Trackpot — The  teapot;  sometimes  trackte,  a  disrespectful 
name  for  the  teapot 

Tradwuddies — The  pieces  of  linked  iron  which  are  fixed  to 
harrows,  and  with  which  they  are  drawn. 

Trae — Stubborn ;  a  boy  who  is  trae  to  learn,  is  stifT  to  leam, 
and  will  teach  himself;  the  majority  of  mankind  are  the 
better  to  be  taught;  but  there  are  others  who  cannot  be 
taught,  and  some  who  learn  of  themselves. 

Traik — To  decay  ;  to  look  traiket,  to  look  in  a  consumptive 
state.  Trailie,  one  who  trails  about  in  shabby  clothes. 
Trailoch^  the  same,  also  trallop. 

Trance — A  passage,  an  entrance,  an  area,  &c. 

Traxtles — Bits  of  broken  iron ;  odd  things  of  hardware  about 
a  farm-house,  same  with  trantlums ;  there  are  generally  haia 
or  holes  about,  where  broken  harse-shoon^  iron  nttSy  aM 
spikes,  and  clicks  be  thrown ;  these  are  termed  trantU-bolcs. 

Trapp — To  trip,  to  catch  another  reading  wrong. 

Travish — To  carry  after  a  trailing  manner. 

Trogg — Old  clothes  ;  troggas,  persons  who  gather  old  clothes, 
Gal lo vidian  Jeu^s,  It  is  somewhat  strange  there  are  none 
of  the  children  of  Israel  crying  ^^  Auld  doe  /  doe  !^  through 
any  town  in  Britain  but  London. 

Trolliebags — The  inwards  of  animals. 

Trone — A  trowle,  a  masonic  instrument ;  tronnie,  a  boy  who 
plays  the  truant 

Trotter  o*  New  Gallowa — Mr.  Trotter,  son  of  Dr. 
Trotter,  the  famous  muir  doctor  in  his  day,  and  bro- 
ther of  Miss  Trotter,  author  of  her  worthy  father's  life 
lately  Mr.  T.  published  some  rustic  Gallovidian  tales, 
the  which   I  am   very  far   from   disliking,    though    I    have 


TRU  TUS  453 

heard  them  railed  against ;  they  are  homely,  told  in  a  half 
poetic,  half  Ossianic  strain,  and  contain  contented  feelings. 
So  &r  as  I  think,  Mr  T.  is  a  gentleman,  whom  the  world's 
cares  sit  lightly  on,  and  I  am  glad  to  think  so ;  his  little  book 
will  be  more  relished  sometime  after  this  than  it  is  at  present. 
Rusticity  is  of  slow  but  steady  growth ;  as  to  his  sister,  I 
hope  she  will  not  lay  aside  her  pen ;  wherever  I  be  she  may 
rely  on  me,  a  steady,  though  unknown  friend ;  the  book  on 
H^raldry^  I  do  not  know  how  it  may  do,  but  success  to 
trade.     There  is  some  gentleman  too,  besides  Mr.  Trotter, 
in  the  Moorlands,  who  publishes  books,  but  without    his 
name.     I  believe  that  is  Barber  of  Borgue ;  what  is  he  afraid 
about  ?     Is  it  in  the  nature  of  Hillmen  to  shrink  ?  no,  no. 
There  is  no  occasion,  now-a-days,  Mr.  B.  to  skulk ;  come 
boldly  forward,  fool  or  no  fool;  this  is  not  the  season  of 
time   to    slumber   in  a  comer    and  wait  for  pairoti^^   for 
the  days  of  patrons  are  over,  and  it  is  as  well.     "  Let  us 
trust  in  our  own  strength ; "  when  a  man  lays  his  shoulder 
to  the  work,  he  is  seldom  overcome ;  then  the  glory   of 
buffeting   the     ocean    of  adversity,   single-handed  industry- 
is  before  all  interest,  the  very  essence  of  independence. 
The  tales  of  his  are  tolerable,  though,  methinks,  not  just 
so  much  as  Mr.  Trotter's ;  the  one  has  more  fancy  than  the 
other. 

Trucker Y — The  porcelain  stuff  attending  the  tea-table. 

Truff — A  turf;  trumfy  trump,  at  cards. 

TuE — Fatigued ;  tued^  fatigued  out ;  ttug^  to  tug. 

Turn  the  Wullcat — ^The  art  of  grasping  the  bough 
of  a  tree  with  the  hands,  and  turning  the  body  through 
between  it  and  the  bough.     Turze^  a  truss. 

TusKV — A  person  with  large  tusks  or  teeth.  An  old  man 
had  lost  all  his  teeth  but  one  large  one  in  the  under 
jaw ;  had  moreover  been  a  gourmand  all  his  life,  and  was 
one  day  observed  at  a  large  dinner,  mumbling  and  boiling 


454  TWA  UPP 

away  as  fast  as  he  was  able,  until  a  large  bite  or  pellet  of 
half  chewed  beef  stuck  m  his  throat;  firightfully  his  eyes 
stood  in  his  head ;  one  run  behind  and  struck  him  a  smart 
blow  between  the  shoulders,  (the  best  way  thought  to  be  on 
these  choaking  occasions),  out  bounded  the  beef;  but  alas !  a 
thread  of  it  had  been  wound  round  the  solitary  tusk,  which 
was  the  cause  of  it  sticking  in  the  gullet,  and  was  also  the 
cause  of  dragging  the  long  fang  from  a  station  it  had  graced 
many  years,  to  the  secret  smiles  of  the  party. 

TwAFAUL — Twofold;  iwa  hand  crack,  a  familiar  discourse 
between  two. 

TwELLiE — A  dispute,  a  tulzie;  tweezers,  hair  curleis; 
iweesty  to  twist 

TwoLT — A  coverlid  for  a  bed. 

Tysday — Tuesday. 

u. 

Ugg — To  vomit;  uggsonu,  loathsome. 

Uncoes — Things  uncommon. 

Underthoum — A  little  trick  projected  in  secret,  is  said 
to  be  done  under  thoum,  Undcrfit  peats,  peat  turf, 
digged  beneath  the  foot,  not  in  the  common  way  of 
cutting  them  of  a  breest. 

Upplan  Showers — Moorland  rains ;  much  more  rain  always 
falls  on  the  moors  than  in  the  dale;  mountains  attract 
clouds,  then  their  tops  like  daggers  stab  them,  and  down 
foam  the  black  torrents. 

Upple — When  the  weather  at  any  time  has  been  wet,  and 
ceases  to  be  so,  we  say  it  is  uppled ;  now  this  is  from 
upheld,  or  it  is  the  same ;  the  sky  is  held  up ;  here  do  we 
see    lift,    carry,    and    upple,    all    connected    together,    all 


J 


URE  VEN  455 

proceeding  from  one  cause,  the  which  I  have  already  ex- 
plained, in  articles  Lift  and  Carry, 

Ure — A  kind  of  coloured  haze,  which  the  sunbeams  make 
in  the  summer  time,  in  passing  through  ;  that  moisture 
which  the  sun  exhales  from  the  land  and  ocean ;  the  ap- 
pearance is  most  obvious  on  the  sea,  and  when  very  dry 
weather,  on  the  moors  ;  when  such  is  seen,  it  is  called  the 
dry  ure: — 

**  The  east  was  blae,  dry  ure  bespread  the  hills, 
**  And  gizzend  hang  on  charnle  pins,  the  mills." 

Gall<nva  yearly  Report. 

V. 

Veem — A  person  is  said  to  be  in  a  veeniy  when  inspired  looking, 
when  exalted  in  spirits ;  this  word,  and  vehement^  may  pro- 
bably be  allied. 

Venters — Any  thing  which  the  wind  or  tide  drive  in  from 
the  ocean  upon  a  shore ;  they  are  termed  so  from  "  ven- 
ture," because  people  have  often  to  venture^  or  risk  their 
lives  in  obtaining  them ;  for  when  a  junk  of  shipwreck, 
or  other  drift  wood,  gets  into  the  surf  of  a  rock-bound 
shore,  the  rude  "  venterers "  catch  hold  when  the  prey 
comes  within  reach,  and  are  dragged  by  the  rebounding 
waves  into  the  deep,  and  so  left  to  perish  in  the  turbulent 
brine.  This  is  often  the  case;  and  those  who  are  so  un- 
fortunate, never  cause  many  tears  to  be  shed  by  the  living 
for  their  sake,  they  are  never  lamented  for ;  as  it  was 
a  greedy  and  savage  disposition  which  hurried  them  to 
destruction,  else  they  would  never  have  taken  such  a 
death-grasp  of  (very  often)  a  poor  prize.  Persons  living 
by  shores  who  happen  to  get  rich,  are  always  suspected 
to  have  "  made  themselves  up,'*  by  gaining  rich  venters^ 
such  as  trunks  full  of  cash,  pipes  of  wine,  or  casks  of 
brandy ;  but  this,  when  sounded  to  the  bottom,  is  often  not 


456  VEN VEN 

true,  and  that  their  weighty  purses  have  been  filled  somt 
other  more  honourable  way.  There  are  many  who  make  a 
practice  indeed  of  ^^ tinning  the  shores^^  of  the  south  of 
Scotland :  but  where  will  we  find  one  of  these  who  is  not 
a  poverty-struck  looking  creature?  By  a  time  perhaps,  a 
windiass-barr^  or  a  deal  of  some  kind  or  other,  may  be 
caught,  but  for  once  any  thing  is  found,  twenty  times 
nothing  is  got ;  and  they  would  find  themselves  and  their 
families  much  better  off  were  they  to  stay  at  home  and 
look  after  more  sure  matters,  though  this  advice  will  sel- 
dom be  taken.  An  old  fellow  who  lived  about  the  shore, 
once  said  "  that  he  wad  rather  rin  roim  the  craigs,  and 
look  out  for  something,  wi'  a  north  wun  blawin,  than  stay 
ahame  wi'  Mail  the  wife ; "  his  luck  indeed  might  have 
been  a  little  "  snell  wi'  the  tongue,"  as  some  others  are ; 
yet,  had  he  run  the  shore  less,  and  been  thronger  some 
other  way,  he  would,  maybe,  have  met  with  a  fuller  hut 
than  he  once  had,  and  a  quieter  spouse — "  ateen."  But 
what  signifies  all  the  trade  of  i^enterSy  which  goes  on 
about  the  south  shores  of  Scotland,  compared  to  that 
of  other  places,  and  chiefly  the  west  of  Ireland  ?  There 
the  gulf  stream  disgorges  what  it  takes  into  its  maw  in 
its  retrograde  range  athwart  the  broad  Atlantia  And  there, 
as  the  darling  poet  Falconer  says — "  Hell  hounds  prowl 
along  the  shore."  No  savages  on  earth  are  worse  than 
these.  No  New  Zealanders,  nor  Africans,  are  so  bloody 
and  base.  When  a  ship  in  distress  is  driven  about  that  in- 
fernal strand,  as  many  are,  it  is  not  the  bark  the  sailors  try 
to  save,  but  their  lives,  and  often  are  they  stripped  naked, 
and  inhumanly  murdered  by  these  detestable  wretches 
O  !  Erin,  I  weep  for  this,  of  thee.  O  !  rulers,  why  are 
ye  thus  blind?  Plant  on  these  inhospitable  shores,  a 
power  to  protect  our  brave  seamen,  the  guards  of  our 
liberties,  and  the  foundation  of  our  nation's  riches  and 
honour. 


■■H 


VIR  VOU  457 

ViRGUS — Some  fancied  liquid,  considered  to  be  the  sourest  of 
any ;  "  it's  as  sour  as  virgus^^  this  is  the  phrase  of  com- 
parison ;  what  this  virgus  may  be  I  do  not  see,  unless  it  be 
sour  vinegar. 

Man,  without  a  wife, 

Is  only  half  a  man. 
And  wanting  half  the  joys  of  life. 

Which  Providence  did  plan. 

A  pity  there's  for  maidens  grey. 

But  none  for  bachelors  at  all, 
For  why,  the  moving  cause  are  they, 

So  should  not  let  the  others  fall. 

That  heart  so  cold's  the  frosty  fell. 

With  feelings  all  like  virgus  sour. 
Will  only  thaw  away  in  hell. 

And  be  alive  to  demons'  power. 

VfTSfs  by  the  Wtiy. 

Awa  wi'  a'  your  German  P'b/w, 
Your  flashie,  gabbie,  Frenchie  Mofts, 
Your  lazy,  inrgus  Spanish  Dons, 

Ihey're  no  for  me  ; 
Give  me  my  Scotia's  darling  sons, 

Sae  kind  and  free. 

O  !  but  I  loe  their  hamely  tweils, 

Their  auld  sweet  sangs,  and  foursome  reels, 

Their  heathery  hills,  their  glens  and  beils, 

Sae  snug  and  warm  ; 
Rare  honest,  independent  chiels, 

Wha  dread  nae  harm. 

Vei'ses  by  chance, 

VizziE  Drap — The  little  mark  stuck  up  at  the  mouth  of  a 
gun-barrel  to  guide  the  sportsman's  view.  "To  take  a 
vizzUy^  to  take  a  steady  aim ;  some  raw  hands,  when vizzying 
first  at  the  nail  in  the  hulVs  eye  of  the  target  \i'\\\i  loaded  ball, 
feel  dooms  queer.  Poet  Main^  in  the  Sillar  Gun^  catches  at 
this,  and  makes  a  good  deal  of  it.  One  of  those  who  were 
shootings  he  tells  us,  was  so  afraid,  that  he  misbehaved ;  an 
expressive  term. 

VouTS  —  Vaults  ;  burial  places  of  the  rich — "  where  those 
above  the  vulgar  bom  do  rot  in  state;"  also  any  arched 
roof  place  under  ground.  One  of  these,  at  the  auld  Abbey 
of  GUnlucey  contains   the   famous  library  of  Michael  Scott, 


458  VOU VOW 

the  Warlock,  Here  are  thousands  of  old  witck  softgs  and 
incantations,  books  of  the  Black  Art  and  A^ecromancy,  Phi- 
losophy of  the  Daftly  Satan's  Almanacks^  the  I*ire  Spangs  of 
FaustuSy  the  Soothsayer's  Creedy  the  Witch  Chronicle^  and  the 
Black  Clucts  wyme  laid  opetiy  with  many  more  valuable 
volumes.  None  but  priests  ab  ove  four-score  are  admitted 
entrance  to  this  sacred  archive ;  and  if  they  take  down  a 
volume  from  one  side  of  the  library  and  set  it  on  the  other, 
when  they  return,  it  is  found  brought  back  to  its  place 
planted  exactly  on  its  own  ^kelf  Moreover,  when  they  find 
a  book  they  would  wish  to  take  home  with  them,  and  peruse 
quietly  by  the  fire  side,  if  it  is  put  in  the  pocket,  or  under 
the  oxtery  when  they  get  back  to  the  Manse  the  book  is 
vanished ;  the  invisible  librarian,  like  those  impudent  ones 
in  the  Edinburgh  College  Library,  will  allow  no  book  of 
worth  to  be  read  in  privatCy  not  for  any  deposit.  A  priest 
went  once  to  it,  as  some  go  to  that  of  the  British  Afuseum, 
with  the  intention  to  copyy  alias  cabbage ;  and  after  he  had 
spent  a  whole  day  noting  down  some  of  the  dark  mystics  of 
Masonry y  he  hied  him  home,  called  the  wife  to  read  her  the 
treaty  but  alas  !  when  he  opened  the  copy,  there  lay  the 
paper  as  7vhite  as  if  pen  had  never  been  laid  on  it,  which 
much  enraged  the  reverend  Cotuan, 

VowL — People  playing  at  cards  have  their  terms ;  and  this 
vowl  is  one  of  them.  WTien  one  of  the  parties  i)laying 
gets  nothing,  not  so  much  as  a  trick,  then  they  are  said  to 
be  vowi'd — this  and  sutler' d  are  one ;  and  a  zunvl  is  said 
to  be  worth  nim  games.  This  is  something  like  that  saying, 
or  taylors  skit — that  it  takes  nineteen  taylors,  a  bull-dog, 
and  tippeny  brick,  to  make  a  man.  The  chief  Galloway 
games  at  cards  are,  Catch  the  Ten,  or  Catch  Honours, 
Lent  for  Beans,  Brag  and  Pairs  for  Slaes,  Beggar  my 
Neebour,  Birkie,  Ijn^e  after  Supper,  and  Wha  to  be  mar- 
ried first.  These  are  the  genuine  rustic  games ;  but  lately 
Whist,  Cribbage,   and    other    genteel   nonsense,   hath  been 


WAD         WAD  459 

introduced  To  hear  a  party  playing  the  auld  harmless 
favourite  Catch  the  Ten,  the  word  renunce  often  strikes  the 
ear,  renounce,  reject,  &c. 

Come  deal  the  carts,  spit  on  your  thoum, 

And  fling  us  roon*  a  han  ; 
Their  cutten  Jock,  and  shuffled  too, 

Sax  players  are  the  plan. 

Now,  what's  the  cut  ?    The  Jack,  by  jing ; 

O,  if  they  hae  the  Ten, 
The  game  we  lose,  iho*  in  dirt^s  hole 

We  be,  as  a*  do  ken; 

Come,  let  na  Johnie  get  the  lead, 

O  trumf  about  they  go; 
'Twas  shameless  Tarn,  ha  sma'  anes  baith. 

The  7Wf — the  7>w,  no,  no. 

Now,  Clubs  they  lead — the  first  time  roun. 

That's  a  renunce  fu'  clean  ; 
Down  goes  the  Ten — 'twill  run,  'twill  run, 

No,  down  on't  sweeps  the  Queen. 

Ten  and  eleven  is  twenty-one, 

The  Queen,  anither  twa  ; 
O  !  there's  the  Ace — it  gets  the  King  ; 

We're  beat — we're  vowVdt  and  a'. 

Sang  o*  the  Cartes. 


w. 

Wad — Would.       Wad,    wager.     /  ufaa    a  crown,  I  wager  a 
crown. 

Waddings — Weddings.  These  ceremonies  are  not  so  largely 
attended  as  in  the  days  of  yore  \  auld  wives  tell  me,  that 
the  Spirit  d  Waddings  is  left  the  country  ;  now  sic  a  thing 
is  slippet  by  in  a  prevet  yfzy,  and  a  body  never  gets  the 
thrappk  watted  owre  them.  Wadding-baws,  money  tossed 
among  mobs  by  wedding  people.  Wadding-braivs,  dresses 
for  marriage  ;  the  buying  of  these  braws  is  a  serious  matter, 
for  this  is  the  first  time  the  young  fowk  appear  in  public 
Wadding  sarks,  the  bride,  previous  to  marriage,  makes 
the  bridegroom  a  shirt,  these  shirts  are  termed  wadding 


46o  WAD WAD 

sarks,  A  peasant  once  told  me,  "That  he  ance  did 
na  intend  to  take  Meg  for  a  wife,  but  the  cutty  saw  this,  flew 
to  my  neck,  and  measured  the  sark,  and  than  I  was  obliged 
to  tak  her."  Waddings  o*  CrawSy  laige  flocks  of  rooks, 
particularly  when  in  "  blackened  train,"  they  fly  at  eve  to 
"  their  repose." 

**  Kjiddler^  2ififert  and  three  castlekaws, 
**  Ay  gie  the  music  to  a  wadding  o*  craws. 

Auld  say, 

Wadds  and  the  Wears — One  of  the  most  celebrated  amuse- 
ments of  the  ingle-ring,  I  believe  Mr.  Cromek  has  touched 
at  it  slightly  in  his  Nithsdale  and  Galloway  song ;  yet  ample 
room  is  left  for  a  description  of  it  by  me,  without  being 
called  a  plagiarist  To  begin  then,  one  in  the  ring  speaks  as 
follows : — 

**  I  hae  been  awa  at  the  wadds  and  the  wears 
**  These  seven  lang  years  ; 
*'  And's  come  hame  a  puir  broken  ploughman  ; 
**  What  will  ye  gie  me  to  help  me  to  my  trade  ?" 

He  may  either  say  he's  a  "  puir  broken  ploughman,"  or 
any  other  trade  ;  but  since  he  has  chosen  that  trade,  some  of 
the  articles  belonging  to  it  must  always  be  given  or  offered, 
in  order  to  recruit  him.  But  the  article  he  most  wants  he 
privately  tells  one  of  the  party,  who  is  not  allowed,  of  course, 
to  offer  him  any  thing,  as  he  knows  the  thing,  which  will 
throw  the  offerer  in  a  wadd^  and  must  be  avoided  as  much  as 
possible — for  to  be  in  a  wadd^  is  a  very  serious  matter,  as 
shall  afterwards  be  explained.  Now,  the  one  on  the  left  hand 
of  the  poor  ploughman,  makes  the  first  offer,  by  way  of  answer 
to  what  above  was  said  ;  "  I'll  gie  ye  the  coutler  to  help  ye  to 
your  trade."  The  ploughman  answers,  "  I  don't  thank  ye  for 
your  coulter^  I  hae  ane  already."  Then  another  offers  him 
another  article  belonging  to  the  ploughman's  business,  such  as 
the  moolbred,  but  this  also  is  refused ;  another,  perhaps,  gives 
the  socky  another  the  stilts,  another  the  spattU^  another  the 


WAD  WAD  461 

ftaigs^  another  the  naig-graith^  and  so  on ;  until  one  gives 
the  soam^  which  was  the  article  he  most  wanted ;  and  was 
the  thing  secretly  told  to  one,  and  is  the  thing  that  throws 
the  giver  into  a  wadd^  out  of  which  he  is  relieved  in  the  fol- 
lowing manner : — 

The  ploughman  says  to  the  one  in  the  wadd^  "  Whether 
will  ye  hae  three  questions  and  two  commands,  or  three 
commands  and  two  questions,  to  answer  or  gang  on  wi', 
sae  that  ye  may  win  out  o*  the  waddV^  For  the  one  so 
fixed  has  always  the  choice  which  of  these  alternatives  to 
take.  Suppose  he  takes  the  first,  two  commands  and  three 
questions,  then  a  specimen  of  these  may  run  so  : — 

"  I  command  ye  to  kiss  the  crook^^  says  the  ploughman, 
which  must  be  completely  obeyed  by  the  one  in  the  wadd 
— his  naked  lips  must  salute  the  sooty  implement 

Secondly,  saith  the  ploughman,  I  command  ye  to  stand  up 
in  that  neuk,  and  say — 

"  Here  Stan  I,  as  stiff's  a  stake, 
**  Wha  'ill  kiss  me  for  pity's  sake?" 

Which  must  also  be  done ;  in  a  comer  of  the  house  must  he 
stand  and  repeat  that  couplet,  till  some  tender-hearted  lass 
relieves  him.  Now  for  the  questions,  which  are  most  deeply 
laid,  or  so  touching  to  him,  that  he  finds  much  difficulty  to 
answer  them. 

Firstly,  then,  "Suppose  you  were  in  a  bed  with  Maggie 
Lo7vden  and  Jennie  Logan^  your  twa  great  sweet-hearts,  what 
ane  o'm  wad  ye  ding  owre  the  bed-side,  and  what  ane  wad 
ye  turn  to  and  clap  and  aiddleV^  He  makes  answer  by 
choosing  Maggie  Lowden,  perhaps,  to  the  great  mirth  of  the 
party. 

Secondly,  then,  "  Suppose  ye  were  stanin  stark  naked  on 
the  tap  d  Cairnhattie^  whether  wad  ye  crie  on  Peggie  Kirtle 
or  Nell  d  Killimingie  to  come  wi'  yer  claise  ?"  He  answers 
again  in  a  similar  manner. 


462  WAM  WAR 

lastly,  then,  "  Suppose  ye  were  in  a  boat  wi'  libbte  Tait^ 
Mary  KairnU^  Sallie  Snadrap,  and  Kate  d  MtnnUivfj  and  it 
was  to  coup  wi'  ye,  what  ane  o'em  wad  ye  sink  f  what  ane 
wad  ye  soom  f  wha  wad  ye  bring  to  Ian'  ?  and  wha  wad  ye 
marry?"  Then  he  answers  again,  to  the  fun  of  the  com- 
pany, perhaps  in  this  way,  "  I  wad  sink  Mary  KairnUy  soom 
Tibbie  Tait,  bring  Sallie  Snadrap  aneath  my  oxter  to  lan\ 
and  marry  sweet  Kattie  d  Minnieive, 

And  so  ends  that  bout  at  the  wadds  and  the  wears  to  give 
place  to  Hey  Willie  Wine  and  How  Willie  Wine,  or  the 
Dambrod  and  Legendary  stories. 

Wampuz — To  make  curvilinear  dashes,  like  a  large  fish  in  the 
water. 

Wanter — A  bachelor,  for  why,  he  wants  a  wife. 

Wapp — To  wrestle  ;  wapping^  wrestling. 

Warble — ^A  short  thick  worm,  which  lodges  between  the  skin 
and  the  fell  of  black  cattle,  not  between  the  fell  and  the 
flesh ;  a  little  hole  leads  to  them,  and,  like  the  W^est  India 
jceger,  may  be  squeezed  and  picked  out. 

Warl  o'  wig-wag — This  state  of  being,  this  world  of  sin  and 
shame,  good  and  evil.     Mark  the  following  verses  : — 

ON  HEARING  OF  THE  DEATH  OF  AN  ACQUAINTANCE 

IN   THE   WEST   INDIES. 

And  has  that  fatal  Indian  clime, 

My  Willie,  done  for  thee  ; 
Ere  ihou  arrived  at  thy  prime, 

Ere  thou  was  twenty-three? 

Detcrmin'd  ay  thou  wast  to  chace 

Shy  fortune  o'er  the  wave  ; 
But  she  has  scorned  thy  frantic  race. 

And  birth 'd  thee  in  the  grave. 

Thy  parents,  too,  the  whims  did  nurse, 

That  thou  would 'st  soon  return 
With  an  o'crflowing,  pond'rous  purse. 

But  now  they  wretched  mourn. 


WAR  WAS  463 

That  thou  would'st  purchase  an  estate 

Of  acres  green  and  wide, 
And  been  the  chief  of  all  the  great 

On  some  fair  country  side. 

Ne'er  thinking  fate  so  soon  would  have 

Condemned  thee  to  die, 
Scarce  rich  enough  to  have  a  grave, 

A  hole  wherein  to  lie. 

O,  Willie,  had'st  thou  stay'd  at  home, 

On  Scotia's  darling  land, 
And  plough'd  thy  father's  fertile  loam. 

And  sow'd  it  with  thy  hand  : 

Perhaps  ye  yet  in  life  had  been. 

An  honest  happy  swain. 
And  many  a  merry  day  have  seen. 

Or  vaaxiy/ull  of  pain. 

For  every  zone  on  earth  belojtv 

Is  cramm'd  with  various  ills. 
And  fell  disorders  deadly  flow 

Thro*  all  in  pois'nous  rills. 

Warroching — Wallowing,  struggling,  like  a  creature  lairing  in 
mud. 

Warsh — Fresh  tasted,  requiring  salt ;  warsle,  a  wrestle. 

Warts — Little  wens,  said  to  be  eradicated  by  washing  with 
swine's  blood,  or  straiking  with  a  dead  man's  hand. 

Waspet — A  man  is  said  to  look  waspit^  when  he  is  got  small 
at  the  Tuazban  o'  the  breeks,  something  like  a  wasp  or 
pishminnie,  when  he  fills  not  his  wast-coat  well;  as  after 
marriage,  and  such  serious  affairs. 

Wassocks — A  kind  of  turban  the  milkmaids  carry  their  pails 
or  stoups  on  their  head ;  also  a  kind  of  bunch  put  on  a 
boring  jumper^  to  hinder  the  water  required  in  boring  from 
leaping  up  into  the  quarriei^s  eyes. 

Wastcoat — Waistcoat,  vest,  &c  It  is  said  that  a  doctor  once 
told  the  wonderful  Bums,  that  if  he  left  not  off  taking 
whisky,  he  would  soon  be  in  the  dust,  for  that  the  coat  of  his 
heart  was  brunt  off  with  it  already.  "  O,"  quoth  the  bard, 
"  let  wastcoat  and  a'  gang^  ay  maun  I  prie  the  barley-bree." 
Respecting  Burns,  when  in  Auld  Reekie^  I  visited  yohnnie 
Do7vi^s  yill-Jwuse^  famous  for  being  a  haunt  of  the  poet's. 


464  WAS  WAS 

and  for  selling  good  broum  stout;    scarcely  had    I    sat 

down  in  the  Coffin  Room,  before  the  following  verses  were 

struck  off.     I  am  no  poet,  as  my  readers  will  see,  though 

I   have  been  a  rhymer  from  my  first,  and   liketh   by  a 

time  to  try  it     "What  good  can  come  from   Galloway?** 

saith  Hogg^  the  Etterick  Shepherd,  in  his    Quien's    Wake. 

Ay,  his  hardship  damns  all  Galloway,  because  a  Gallovidian, 

a    Mr,    Morrison^  parodied    him     and    his     Wake    in   a 

poem.      Poor  spite !  but  to  my  work ;   let   that  be  good 

or  no,  it  matters  little  to  me,  as  I  prefer  putting  up  with 

injuries,  rather  than  be  "  -<4  plague  to  them  whdd  be  a  plague 

to  Pie" 

Verses  which  occurred   to   me  in  the   queer   tavern  of 

Johnnie  Doun^s,  a  house  much  haunted  by  Bums,   while 

in  Auld  Reekie : — 

So  this  is  Johnnie  Dowie's  cabin, 
Whare  aft  dear  Scotia's  bard  got  lab  in. 
And  then  sae  witty  wild  did  gab  in, 

lliat  roun  the  table, 
A'  laughed  to  hear  the  mighty  Rabin, 

While  they  were  able. 

Nae  won*er  that  wi'  right  gude  will, 
He  aflen  sat  and  drank  his  fill, 
O*  this  delicious  famous  yill, 

As  pure  as  amber  ; 
For  then  up  the  Parnassian  hill 

'Twas  nought  to  clamber. 

I  think  1  see  him  just  sae  now, 
Afore  me,  mair  than  middling  fu* 
Keen  dashing  on  and  driving  thro' 

The  inspired  chiel  ; 
Astonishing  his  social  crew, 

Ay  and  the  de'il. 

Whiles  praising  up  his  Ayrshire  lasses, 
Descanting  grand  on  whisky  glasses. 
Or  damning  country  lairds  for  hashes, 

And  priests  for  fools  ; 
Or  through  the  rural  world  he  brashes. 

Despising  rules. 

Whare  bumies  to  the  ocean  row, 
W^hare  lambkins  dance  adown  the  how, 
Whare  silver  shakles  wag  their  pow. 

Upon  the  brae  ; 
Such  worthy  things  he  rambles  thro', 

And  mony  mae. 


WAT  WAT  465 

The  charms  o*  Jean,  the  whims  o'  Molly, 
The  joys  that  men  hae  in  their  folly, 
The  hypocrite's  sly  grane  sae  holy. 

He  slyer  touches ; 
For  what  can  stand  roused  melancholy 

'S  giant  clutches. 

O,  was  he  in  reality 

Aside  me  now,  how  glad  I'd  be, 

There's  nane  wad  mair  admire  his  glee, 

And  praise  his  powers  ; 
But  ah  !  alas  !  denied  to  me 

Are  sic  sweet  hours. 

His  noble  saul  frae  earth  is  fled. 
Wild  Genius  sadly  mourns  him  dead. 
True  Scotchmen  may  adorn  his  bed 

In  the  kirk-yard ; 
But  wha  can  stem  hearts  that  do  bleed 

For  the  great  bard  ? 

I'll  mourn  his  death  while  here  below, 
That  death  brought  on  by  want  and  woe. 
Ere  his  great  strains  did  strongest  flow, 

Or  fancy  fly ; 
Sae  lofty  as  they  mean'd  to  go. 

Ere  he  should  die. 

For  had  his  country  been  mair  kind, 
And  no  hae  slumber'd  owre  him  blind, 
We  wad  hae  seen  the  strongest  mind 

Displayed  ere  sung ; 
Wull  Shakespeare  he'd  na  been  behind 

In  pith  o'  tongue. 

But  as  he  is,  there's  few  afore  him. 
The  scowling  critic  maun  adore  him. 
And  every  feeling  man  encore  him, 

Wi'  glorious  glee  ; 
And  in  Fame's  glorious  Temple  store  him, 

Nae  mair  to  dee. 

Wat — Not  dry. 

Waterbrash — An  eruption  in  the  stomach,  brought  on  by 
drinking  grog. 

Waters — Rivers;  in  Galloway  the  chief  are  the  Dee^  Heet^  Urr^ 
and  Crte.  Mine  Address  to  the  Dee,  wrote  in  Auld  Reekiey 
runneth  as  follows,  foolish  enough  : — 

The  Dee  is  king  of  all  the  streams, 
That  roll  to  Scotland's  southern  sea, 

On  it  I  had  my  youthful  dreams, 
Its  baViks  are  ever  dear  to  me. 

2  G 


466  WAT  WAT 

For  there  my  parents  do  reside. 
And  worthy  parents  they  have  been. 

To  me,  a  rambler  wild  and  wide. 
With  foolish  whims  and  fancy  keen. 

The  Nith,  the  Urr,  the  Fleet  and  Cree. 
Are  waters  not  to  match  with  it. 


No  stately  ship  on  them  we  see, 
VoT  navigation  they're  unfit. 


A  seventy-four  the  Dee  might  float. 
Or  any  bark  that  scours  the  deep  ; 

But  for  the  rest  an  oyster  boat, 
They  scarcely  off  the  mud  can  keep. 

What  bays  and  havens  hath  the  Dee, 
To  shelter  safe  the  manlv  tar  ; 

In  them  he  tells  his  tale  with  glee, 

**  Remote  from  where  the  billows  jar." 

Upon  its  banks  what  waving  wood. 
And  fertile  glades  for  ever  green  : 

What  salmons  spouting  in  the  flood. 
And  pellocks  hunting  them  are  seen. 

Around  what  rural  swains  do  live. 

So  honest,  harmless,  blythe,  and  free  ; 

With  them  what  bonny  lasses  thrive, 
For  ever  kind  and  dear  to  me. 

Oh  !  when  I  think  about  the  Dee, 
A  thousand  lovely  scenes  arise  ; 

I  see  the  friends  so  sweet  to  me, 
I  feel  the  charm  that  never  dies. 

When  death  does  gore  my  swarthy  breast. 
With  his  determined  deadly  dart, 

Those  charms  will  only  sink  to  rest, 
Yes,  with  the  throbbing  of  my  heart. 

The  rivers  in  the  torrid  zone, 
Or  those  beneath  the  arctic  sky. 

Do  set  me  in  another  tone. 

From  them  that  round  my  home  do  lie. 

How  different  where  the  Niger  flows. 
Through  Afric's  burning  dismal  land  ; 

By  it  the  yelling  savage  goes, 

With  poison'd  arrows  in  his  hand. 

There  tigers  come  their  thirst  to  slake, 
With  other  wild  beasts  of  the  wood  ; 

There's  too  the  monstrous  fanged  snake. 
And  crocodile  intent  on  blood. 


WAT WEA  467 

There  grin'd  the  alligator*s  jaws. 

There  tawny  lions  fight  and  growl, 
There  clatter  tusks  and  darteth  claws, 

Terrific  to  the  traveller's  soul. 

Not  like  the  peaceful  Dee,  indeed. 

Where  silver  fishes  skip  and  play, 
On  whose  sweet  banks  the  hares  do  breed, 

And  hop  about  in  open  day. 

No  frosts  congeal  the  happy  stream. 
No  choaking  snows  its  course  retard, 

No  Rein-deer  gallops  there  in  team. 
As  on  the  Lapland  waters  hard. 

In  it  the  Walrus  never  snorts. 

Nor  Bears  prowl  for  the  harmless  Seal ; 

No  Mallamuke  there  resorts, 
Tho'  whiles  the  Widgeon  and  the  Teal. 

The  Dee  contains  no  church  of  ice. 

No  mansion  there  appears  so  cold  ; 
Fantastic  forms  are  very  nice, 

But  I'd  like  better  to  behold 

Kirkcudbright  and  its  river  fair. 

With  woody  sweet  St.  Mary's  Isle ; 
O  !  for  pure  Gallovidian  air, 

O  I  for  to  see  her  maidens  smile. 

Smoke  on,  old  Reekie,  justle  on. 

Ye  swagging  crowds  with  meilde  pain, 

Your  humble  servant  leaves  ye  soon, 
For  his  grand  rural  world  again. 

Wauchle — To    walk    after    a  fatigued  manner:    wauchling^ 
walking,  yet  almost  exhausted. 

Wauch  Mill — A  mill  for  thickening  cloth. 

Waucked — Matted,  wrought  thick. 

Waucket-loof — A  hand  with  the  flesh  hardened. 

Waur — Worse. 

Waur-time. — The  spring  season,  for  then  the  farmers  waur^  or 
lay  out ;  they  then  sow  with  the  hope  to  reap. 

Weathergaw  —  A  very  singular  object  seen  in  a  cloudy 
sky,  when  a  certain  kind  of  weather  rules  it.  The  rain- 
bow and  it  seem  to  be  of  one  nature,  and  to  proceed 
from  the  same  cause.  The  beautiful  colours  in  the  wea- 
thergaw^  however,   are  stronger  defined,   of  a  deeper  hue 


468  WEA  WEE 

than  those  of  the  rainbow ;  the  back  ground  of  the  wea- 
thergaw^  as  it  were,  is  always  a  black  cloud,  and  instead  of 
being  the  segment  of  a  circle,  is,  so  far  as  it  appears,  a 
straight  line.  The  whole  seems  to  be  the  refraction  of  the 
sun's  rays,  owing  to  their  beaming  on  a  column  of  water, 
falling  in  the  form  of  weighty  rain,  from  one  region  of  a 
dense  atmosphere  to  another.  Thus  this  strange  appear- 
ance is  termed  by  rustic  Scottish  naturalists  the  weatlurgaw, 
or  the  gall  of  the  weather ;  and  when  the  gall  or  gaw, 
bursts,  woe  be  to  the  tenants  of  the  field,  down  come  the 
sumps,  and  wild  foam  the  spates;  however,  it  sometimes 
indicates  good  weather,  like  the  ark  d  the  cluds^  from  its 
situation  in  the  sky ;  thus  when  the  ark  runs  north  and 
south,  the  aflercome  is  not  so  much  dreaded,  as  if  it  had 
stretched  between  any  other  airts  d  the  lift,  and  when  the 
weathergaw  is  seen  in  the  east,  its  consequences  by  the 
weatherwise  are  less  dreaded,  though  east  rains,  when  they 
do  fall,  are  the  dreighest  of  any  : — 

**The  weather's  taking  up  now, 

**  For  yonder  is  the  weathergaw, 
**  How  hionny  in  the  east  now, 

**  Now  the  colours  fade  awa  ; 
*'  But  turn  your  head  tae  south  man, 

'*  Yonder  it  appears  again, 
**  I>et*s  lae  the  ng,  and  theak  the  stacks, 

**  Or  down  will  fa'  the  plumping  rain. 

Harvest  sang. 

Wee — Small,  little  ;  wee^  wee^  smaller  than  small : — 

**  I  wuss  I  had  a  ww,  wee  house, 
**  A  wegy  wee  cat,  to  catch  a  mouse, 
**  A  7£vr,  wee  cock,  to  craw  fu'  crouse, 

•*  And  you  to  rule  them  a'." 

Popular  sang, 

Weel — Well.  Weel  man,  A  common  salutation ;  weel-faured, 
well-favoured,  good-looking. 

Wee  Ross — One  of  the  best  known  islands  belonging  to 
Galloway ;  it  stands  at  the  mouth  of  the  Dee,  and  is 
about  two  miles  in  circumference  ;    the  Isle  of  Heston,  in 


WEE  WEE  469 

the  Bay  of  Balcarry^  is  about  the  same  size,  and  swarms 
with  rabbits;  there  are  none  of  these  animals  on  the  Wee 
RosSj  but  there  are  plenty  of  rats,  which  burrow  amongst  the 
rocks,  and  live  on  partonsy  pirr-eggs,  &c.;  it  is  called  the  IVee 
Ross,  because  the  bold  headland,  termed  the  Big  Ross,  is 
right  beside  it,  and  forms,  from  its  height,  a  famous  land- 
mark for  sailors ;  between  the  two  lands  is  a  rock,  termed 
yanet  Richardson,  This  was  a  poor  woman  who  belonged 
to  Clauchendolly,  and  who  went  on  to  the  rock  at  ebb-tide,  to 
gather  2ipowkfu*  d  mussels;  while  so  employed  the  sea  flowed 
round  the  rock,  unobserved  by  her — at  length  noticing  it, 
she  "  kilted  up  her  coats,  aboon  the  na'el,"  as  the  saying  is, 
plunged  in,  but  the  buldering  ytdXtrs  of  the  sound  hurried  her 
off  \itx  feckless  shanks,  but  she  having  difarkage  d  claise  about 
her,  they  keeped  her  aboon  broe,  until  she  was  driven  ashore 
on  the  Milton  Lands  ;  from  such  circumstance  is  the  rock 
named,  and  that  name  will  likely  remain  as  long  as  if  it  had 
been  given  by  Cook  or  Parry.  On  the  Wee  Ross  stands 
two  land-marks,  erected  by  the  wisdom  of  Skipper  Skellie ; 
they  point  out  to  sailors  the  land^s  lead,  and  the  Deds 
Channel  I  must  not  pass  this  worthy  Skipper  Skellie, 
slightly;  his  honest  and  feeling  mind  has  been  exerted 
in  behalf  of  the  sailors,  a  class  of  men,  perhaps  as  much 
respected  as  any  on  earth,  and  apparently  for  good  cause. 
Whatever  the  skipper  sees  he  can  do  for  them,  that 
he  doth,  even  to  hurting  himself;  his  daring  mind  is 
backed  out  by  that  of  every  wise  man's,  and  all  his  plans 
have  originality  and  good  in  them;  well  may  I  term  him 
the  Gallovidian  marine  engineer,  for  the  same  reason  that 
I  term  Gladstone  that  of  the  land.  After  his  land  marks 
were  built,  a  curious  pod  fancied  he  addressed  them 
thus  :  — 

Some  time  ago  when  I  was  wont  to  cross, 

The  Solway  Firth,  and  trade  in  coal  and  Hme, 

Often  I've  found  myself  at  no  small  loss. 
To  know  the  Dee  in  many  a  stormy  time  ; 


470  WEE  WEE 

Deep  rolling  river  always  grand  sublime, 
From  others  stagnant,  full  of  sludge  and  dross. 
Which  vomit  round  it  in  the  sea  their  slime,- 
'Twas  then  methought  that  from  these  jumbling  gross, 
Skelly  should  mark  it  yet  upon  the  Little  Ross. 

So  I  vrith  you,  ye  brothers  square  and  high. 
Have  had  my  wish,  I  glory  in  your  birth. 
Stand  unscar'd  beneath  the  sulky  sky. 
Let  growling  surfs  and  surges  give  ye  mirth. 
Smile  at  Kirkcudbright,  gaze  across  the  Firth  ; 
The  waves  dash'd  vessels  from  the  tempests  cry. 
Do  all  the  good  ye  can,  remain  while  earth 
Unsmelted  will  around  her  axle  fly, 
Tho'  still  remember,  Skelly,  who  am  L 

Whene'er  a  sailor  from  the  ofEn  hails. 

Your  lofty  lordships  boldly  answer  he, 

•*  Come  hither  from  the  g^e,  ye  tar  who  sails, 

'*  Along  the  wild  bosom  of  the  wrathful  sea, 

**  If  for  a  shelter  you  incline  to  be, 

"  Within  our  arms  is  one  which  never  fails, 

"  Through  gurly  hurricanes  to  form  a  lee, 

•*  Where  pitching  ceases,  where  no  anchor  trails, 

•*  Give  Skelly*s  orders  then,  when  ocean  rails." 

Whoever  can  lie  and  snore  upon  the  pillow, 
And  seamen  weltring  roimd  in  great  distress. 
Bawling  for  mercy,  struggling  with  the  billow. 
Will  surely  ne'er  behold  the  land  of  bliss ; 
Contentment's  lips  thee'ill  never,  never  kiss. 
But  will  be  scourg'd  by  some  infernal  fellow. 
For  such  as  these  the  devil  cannot  miss. 
Oh,  help  the  weather-beaten  sailor,  will  ye. 
Is  ever  the  sincere  wish  of  Skipper  Skelly. 

May  commerce  flutter  up  our  lovely  river. 
And  fright  the  grass  from  off  the  untrod  street. 
May  spirit,  sense,  and  worth,  forsake  us  never. 
Let  who  are  foes  shake  hands,  and  friendly  meet. 
That  pride  and  spleen  evaporate  complete. 
Who  brews  the  venom,  may  that  venom's  fever, 
Retort  upon  themselves  with  furious  heat ; 
So  we'll  be  look'd  on  borough  bodies  clever. 
And  I,  an  humble  skipper,  live  for  ever. 

So  now  my  land-marks^  hear  my  last  advice. 
Let  times'  fell  tusks  scarce  ere  your  beauty  tear. 
Should  distant  ages  disregard  your  price. 
Shake,  shiver  not  nor  stand  aghast  with  fear 
When  I  must  sink  at  last,  through  tear  and  wear, 
Beneath  the  sod  in  death's  cold  arms  of  ice. 
And  my  poor  soul  through  foreign  countries  steer, 
Be  sure  ay  tell  the  worthy  and  the  wise, 
My  simple  efforts  never  to  despise. 


WEE  WEE  471 

Beside  this  isle  is  a  tolerable  place  for  ships  to  anchor  in, 
when  they  come  from  off  the  sea,  at  a  wTong  time  of  the 
tide,  and  must  wait  for  water  flowing  of  depth,  to  swim  them 
up  the  river.  However,  if  the  storm  be  a  hurricane,  the 
shelter  is  not  so  great,  and  it  requires  a  ship  with  the  best 
holding  tackle  to  ride  secure.  About  two  years  ago,  five 
ships  were  torn  from  their  moorings  there  by  an  awful  gale, 
and  dashed  to  pieces  on  the  Bar  ;  one  of  these  was  com- 
manded by  a  young  man  belonging  to  Cumberland,  of  the 
best  disposition  and  manners ;  his  loss  was  so  deeply 
lamented  both  in  England  and  Scotland,  that  the  following 
true  song  was  produced  on  the  subject : — 

CAPTAIN  ORMONBY. 

Sweet  maidens  fair  in  Cumberland,  what  griefs  have  I  to  tell. 
The  dear  young  Captain  Ormonby,  who  loved  ye  all  so  well, 
Is  overwhelmed  with  the  storm,  is  sunk  beneath  the  wave, 
In  the  wild  deep,  there  he  doth  sleep,  there  is  his  watery  grave. 

He  left  your  shores  for  Dublin-bay  with  a  deep-laden  bark, 
The  day  was  fine,  the  wind  was  fair,  and  sweetly  sang  the  lark. 
But  ere  the  sun  stood  north  and  south,  the  sky  was  all  o'ercast. 
And  by  Blackcoomb^  with  awful  boom,  came  roaring  on  the  blast. 

The  surges  o'er  the  head-lands  rose,  and  buried  every  mool. 
The  Isle  of  Man  they  seem'd  to  sink,  and  break  out  o'er  Barool ; 
What  ship  could  stand  such  billows  vast,  she  must  run  for  a  lee, 
With  naked  masts,  before  the  blasts,  forlorn  she  on  must  flee  ? 

So  on  did  steer  young  Ormonby  before  the  furious  wind. 
The  tide  being  out  along  the  shores,  no  harbour  could  he  find  ; 
The  little  Ross  no  shelter  was,  the  anchors  would  not  hold. 
So  our  noble  tar,  upon  the  Bar,  among  the  foam  was  roll'd. 

Up  high  his  brig  was  heaved  whiles  by  the  tremendous  sea. 
Then  down  again,  with  thundering  sound,  upon  the  sands  of  Dee  ; 
But  soon  she  stove,  and  soon  she  sunk,  the  sailors  stood  aghast, 
Then,  for  the  live  did  climb  and  strive  to  save't  upon  the  mast. 

As  on  the  main-top  they  did  cling,  and  gazing  all  around, 
Four  other  ships,  besides  themselves,  were  on  the  stormy  ground  ; 
**  What  shall  we  do  ?  "  a  sailor  cried,  *'  lo,  yonder's  one  upset, 
**  Altho'  dry  land  be  near  at  hand,  to  it  we'll  never  get." 

**  The  tide  will  flow  by  six  o'clock  (the  captain  then  did  say), 
**  And  down  will  fall  our  only  hope,  this  mast  here  will  give  way  ; 
**  There's  not  a  chance  that  we'll  be  saved,  no,  not  a  chance  for  one, 
•*  No  boat  can  live,  none  help  can  give,  we're  drowned  every  man." 


472  WEH  WHA 

*'  O  !  let  us,  since  we  see  our  fate,  to  the  Almi^y  pray, 
**  Implore  him  for  to  save  our  souls,  and  not  cast  them  away  ; 
•*  For  soon  my  brother  sufferers  dear  before  him  they  will  be, 
"  For  death  doth  ride  upon  the  tide,  this  awful  night  we 


But  scarcely  had  good  Ormonby  sooth'd  his  desponding  crew. 
When  down  the  mast  with  crashing  fell,  the  surges  o'er  them  flew  ; 
Their  shrieks  were  stifled  with  the  storm,  the  waters  mad  did  roar. 
And  dash'd  them  down,  to  gasp  and  drown,  and  never  to  rise  more. 


Poor  Bill,  e'er  this  an  hardy  tar,  who  had  sail'd  many  a 
A  hunting  whales  among  the  ice,  and  slaves  by  hot  Goree  ; 
Reach'd  the  foremast  with  trouble  great,  and  saw  the  horrid  fate 
Which  did  befal  his  mess-mates  all,  for  him  but  to  relate. 

And  while  poor  Bill  did  tell  the  tale,  with  sorrow  he  did  weep, 
"  My  kind  young  captain,"  he  did  cry,  **  is  buried  in  the  deep  ; 
**  'Tis  thirty  years  now,  since  a  boy,  I  first  did  sail  the  sea, 
**  And  I've  ne'er  had,  such  a  good  lad,  a  master  over  me." 

Lament  then  for  this  worthy  youth  all  who  have  hearts  can  feel. 
His  sweetheart's  breast  is  wounded  deep,  we  fear  'twill  never  heal; 
On  Whitehaven  Quay  she  parted  that  mom  with  her  true  love. 
No  more  to  see,  nor  with  him  be,  till  she's  in  Heaven  above. 

Well  may'st  thou  moan,  thou  Ocean  now,  upon  the  Milton  sand. 
For  Ormonby  thou  hast  devoured — what  can  thy  wrath  withstand  ? 
The  tall  black  rocks  around  thy  shores,  even  totter  with  thy  rage. 
See  how  then  can,  the  art  of  man,  with  thee  in  war  engage  ? 

O  !  sing  this  song,  my  sailors  all,  when  you're  in  moumfol  mood. 
And  think  on  the  distresses  great  your  brethren  whiles  have  stood  ; 
Be  still  prepared  to  meet  the  storm,  be  still  prepared  to  drown. 
So  then  will  ye,  like  Ormonby,  gain  an  eternal  crown. 

Wehaw  ! — A  cry  which  displeases  horses.  Boys  are  frequently 
seen  about  the  clauchans  running  after  atdd  naigSy  and  ci}'- 
ing  wehaw  I  and  see  how  the  old  horses  scool^  hang  their 
lugs^  and  would  kick  were  they  able, 

Whailing — To  get  a  lashing  with  a  rop^s  end.  This  comes 
from  the  name  of  a  rope  called  a  whakMne^  used  in  fishing 
for  whales. 

Whang — Any  thing  of  a  long  supple  nature.  A  whang  d 
cheese^  as  much  cheese  as  can  wag,  A  whang  o*  tobaccoy 
7vhangs  for  steekers  to  shoon,  &c.,  are  all  of  the  same  order. 
Whang,  however,  is  also  a  blow,  or  ratherly  a  lash  with  a 
whip  ;  this  blow  is  sometimes  called  whack. 

Whauky — Whisky  ;  the  same  with  Aqua, 


WHA WHU  473 

Whaup — Bird  curlew ;  also  a  twist,  as  in  a  rope.  Thus, 
whaup  V  thi  rape,  a  doubling,  a  back-spangy  a  quirk,  to 
deceive.     Wheeple,  to  whistle  like  a  whaup, 

Wheesht — An  order  for  silence.     Hand  your  wheesht,  be  silent. 

Wheezan — ^The  noise  carriage-wheels  make,  when  moving 
fast. 

Whigg — Sour  cream,  a  pleasant  acid  to  the  taste. 

Whihe — The  sound  of  an  adder ;  her  fuffing  noise,  when 
angered. 

Whillie  Billou — A  noisy  commotion,  as  when  the  fox 
is  up,  started  for  chace.  French,  Whirlie  Breelow,  for 
the  same. 

White — To  pare  with  a  knife ;  also,  to  fleetch,  to  flatter  for 
favour.     An  auld  whitie,  a  flatterer ;  the  same  with  white- 

up, 

m 

White  Hawse — ^A  favourite  pudding,  that  which  conducts  the 
food  to  the  stomach  with  sheep. 

Whittering — Running  about  in  a  strange  simple  manner. 
The  way  a  modest  lover  haunts  his  mistress  ;  also,  any  thing 
of  weak  growth  is  a  whitter, 

Whommled — Overturned.  "To  be  whommled  beneath  a 
bushel,"  to  be  covered  by  a  bushel ;  "  to  be  whommled  by  a 
wave,"  to  be  whelmed  in  the  deep. 

Whoorls — Circular  back  for  spindles — 

'*  By  cauk  and  keel  we'll  win  our  breed, 

**  Ajid  whoorles  for  spinnles  in  time  o'  need." 

Gaberlunzie  Man, 

Whudding — Telling  lies ;  also  to  run  like  a  hare.  We  say, 
"  See  to  bawdrons,  how  he  whudds  awa  up  the  lee." 
Whudder,  a  curious  kind  of  noise ;  we  say,  "  a  hare  starts 
from  her  den  wi'  a  whudder ,"  also,  the  wind,  in  a  cold  night, 
is  said  to  whuddcry  Association  must  partly  explain  this 
term,  bare  words  cannot  do  it. 


474  WHU  WHU 

Whufft — ^Whift  He  whufft  out  the  candle;  he  suddenly 
blew  out  the  candle. 

Whult — A  blow  received  from  a  fall,  or  the  noise  attending 
such  a  fall.  He  gat  an  unco  whult  from  falling,  and  he  fell 
with  an  unco  whuU ;  both  these  are  said :  also  whult,  any 
thing  larger  than  expected ;  a  large  potatoe,  like  a  loltidoU,  is 
termed  a  whulter.  Loltidoll  is  the  largest  species  of  potatoe 
in  the  three  kingdoms,  the  British  yam ;  Irishmen  say  only 
two  grow  to  a  stalk,  and  any  one  of  these  is  as  big  as  a 
child's  head  sixteen  years  ould.  Our  Pinkies,  Meuk-a-ma-riches, 
Benefits,  Blue-nurgs,  &*€.,  are  trifles  to  these. 

Whullilow — The  same  with  Whillie-billau, 

Whumgees — Vexatious  whisperings,  trivial  tricks  in  truth- 
telling,  as  it  were.  Whaups  in  the  rape,  and  whumgees,  are 
not  widely  different  Whumper,  to  whimper ;  to  whunge,  to 
whinge,  to  fret 

Whunce — A  heavy  blow,  or  the  noise  of  such  a  blow,  as  when 
two  channle-stones  strike  one  another. 

Whunner — A  thundering  sound,  or  the  blow  which  causes 
such  a  sound, 

Whuns — Whins  ;  whun-stanes,  whin-stones ;  whun  blooms,  the 
yellow  blooms  of  the  whin.  Whins,  it  is  said,  were  intro- 
duced into  this  country  from  France ;  that  the  cat-whun 
is  the  Scotch-whun,  the  other  the  French-whun,  Now,  the 
truth  is,  any  bad  thing,  as  whins  are,  no  nation  wll 
own,  so  we  give  them  to  the  French.  The  French  give 
them  again  to  other  nations ;  so,  what  belongs  to  all  the 
world,  and  what  the  world  detests,  no  nation  in  the  world 
will  own,  and  vice  versa. 

Whups — Whips ;  ivhupperin,  a  whipper-in  amongst  fox- 
hunters  ;  a  loaded  whup,  a  whip  laden  in  the  shaft  with 
lead  ;  whup,   also   to   run ;  whup  awa,   run   along.     Some 


WHU  WHU  475 

may  think  that  I  give  not  all  the  strange  words  in  use  in  the 
south  of  Scotland ;  this  is  true ;  but  I  give  all  those  which 
none  have  noticed  before  me,  at  least  the  greater  part  I 
once  intended  to  give  them  all,  but  I  found  it  would  swell 
my  book  too  much;  those  who  wish  to  see  the  rest,  may 
consult  Jamieson's  excellent  Dictionary.  And  one  of  my 
motives  for  writing  this  book  was  to  aid  our  Scottish  Diction- 
ary as  much  towards  perfection  as  possible. 

Whurlie-Birlie — ^Any  thing  which  whirleth  round ;  children 
have  little  toys  they  spin,  so  termed.  There  is  nothing 
so  hard  to  make  the  peasantry  of  Scotland  believe,  as 
the  truths  of  Astronomy ;  some  consider  the  matter  deeply, 
and  instantly  assent  to  them ;  but  the  majority  are  ratherly 
inclined  to  laugh  at  the  glorious  discoveries  of  a  Pytha- 
goras, a  Copernicus,  a  Kepler,  and  a  Newton.  They 
cannot  think  that  this  earth  turns  round  on  its  axis,  at  all ; 
and  far  less  that  it  wheels  round  the  sun.  While  reasoning 
this  matter  with  one  of  them  one  day,  he  gave  out  the 
following  fancies,  which  I  thus  tagged  together  in  rhyme  — 

Quoth  Dalditt  thou's  a  dooms  queer  cheel, 
Faith  thou's  grown  kidgie  wi'  the  de'il, 
To  tell  me  that  this  yirth  doth  wheel, 

Just  like  a  whurlie-birlu. 

Here  hae  I  lived  this  thratty  year, 

And  never  faun  I  it  to  steer, 

Goth,  thou's  a  wrang  man  I  cud  sweer. 

It's  no  a  wkurlU'birlie. 

At  this  the  Astronomer  did  smile. 
Faith,  took  a  laugh  at  Daldie's  style. 
He  was  na  grave  a  gye  wee  while. 

About  the  whurlU-birlie. 

But  Daldie  reasoned  still  awa, 

He  cudna  swallie  this  ava. 

How  he,  his  shiel,  his  wife  and  a' 

Stack  on  the  whurlie-birlie. 

While  heels  owre  gowdie  every  day, 
It  whomel'd  on  the  orbit  way. 
And  sae  continued  to  play, 

The  meikle  whurlie-birlie. 


476  WHU  WHU 

About  some  forces  thou  dis  jaw, 
I  kenna  how  they  act  ava, 
Centripecdel,  Centrifuga', 

To  trim  the  whurlie-HrlU. 

That  famous  English  Isaac  m£ui« 

Thou  say*st  did  maist  the  hale  ware  plan. 

And  saw  exactly  how  it  ran, 

The  meikle  wkuriu-birlU. 

But  him  nor  you  can  hardly  change 
What  Daldie  thinks  wi*  ought  sae  strange. 
My  mind  it  may  be  canna  range. 

And  see*t  a  whuHU-birlU. 

\jt\,  it  be,  tho^  whate'er  it  is, 
Frae  Daldie  tak  na  au^ht  amiss. 
There's  mony  a  goaf  wi'  it  maun  whizz, 

Gif  it's  a  whuriu-hirii^, 

Tse  gie't  a  thought — ay,  shake  my  brain. 
And  see  if  aught  it  dodi  contain, 
O,  but  wi'  scholar-craft  my  ain. 

To  see  this  whurlu-birlie. 

But  hech  !  am  unco'  doaf  i'e  horn, 
A  shauler  eow  was  never  bom, 
I  sleep  ate  en  and  start  i'e  mom. 

Upon  this  whurlU-birlic. 

O,  for  the  fancy  that  could  streek. 
And  tow*r  aboon  the  cluds,  like  reek. 
Than  I  cud  crack  wi'  you  a  week. 

About  this  whurlU-birlU, 

There  is  another  poem  in  my  wallet  respecting  the  pea- 
santry, termed  Auld  Wullie  BirlU^  and  as  these  poems  illus- 
trate the  manners  of  the  country  people  better  than  prose 
hints,  I  feel  inclined  to  give  it ;  and  be  it  understood,  when 
I  name  not  the  author  of  any  piece,  I  want  my  readers  to 
guess  that,  or  let  it  alone,  just  as  they  feel  :  — 

Auld  Willie  Birlie  is  ane  fiel'  herd. 

And  tharty  years  he  has  herded  Clinkanco', 
His  claes  are  dufHe,  something  grey  his  beard, 

And  healthfu'  habits  make  him  fail  but  slow. 

He  trods  about  wi'  his  bit  halflin  trot, 

Ane  han'  bears  cloupicy  tither  his  coat-tail^ 
What  skill  has  he  about  a  nurriWd  stoti. 

And  croitoch'd  cloots  the  body  soon  can  hail. 

Thro'  a*  the  day  he  is  amang  the  flocks, 

Whiles  wi'  the  cuddochs,  whiles  artiang  the  sheep, 

Unless  his  cur  smells  Reynard  'mang  the  rocks. 
Than  owrc  the  hags  and  noils  does  Willie  leap. 


WHU    WHU  477 

And  sometimes  gets  Tod  Ix)wrie  by  the  tail, 

Than  Willie  Birlie  is  ane  happy  man, 
Wi'  mighty  glee  he  hameward  him  doth  trail. 

Tells  how  he  tous*d  him,  how  Yvt  formed  his  plan. 

Baith  young  and  auld  like  Willie  Birlie  weel, 

Wi*  him  few  nowt  or  sheep  do  ever  traik. 
And  than  for  him  they're  a'  sae  quiet,  puir  chiel. 

He  claws  their  rumps,  their  cheeks  he'll  clap  and  straik. 

Few  megrams  ever  enter  Willie's  head. 

He  likes  his  auld  wife  Meg^  and  she  likes  him. 

Their  bairns  are  a'  grown  up  whilk  they  did  breed. 
In  England  some  o'm's  gane,  the  pack  to  trim. 

And  some  o'm  ploughs  ahame,  and  daughter  Nell 

Is  married  to  ane  honest  plodding  chiel. 
And  she  lues  him^  as  well's  she  lues  herself 

Sae  Willie  Birlie's  family's  unco  weel. 

Quietly  has  Willie  lived,  and  sae  he'll  dee, 

He  never  ken'd  what  were  the  ills  of  life, 
He's  no  a  melancholy  wretch  like  me, 

Wi'  mankind  he  had  never  ony  strife. 

He  never  felt  the  flashing  passions  mad. 
The  burning  brains  which  nothing  can  assuage, 

The  sorrowing  soul  that  loveth  to  t^  sad. 
And  frets  for  ay,  like  burdie  in  a  cage. 

Upon  ilk  sunny  sabbath  afternoon. 

He  reads  his  Bible  on  the  green  brae  side, 
And  thinks  about  the  joys  in  heaven  aboon. 

And  sacraments  aroun'  the  countra  wide. 

The  Scriptures  Willie  never  doubt  do  lee. 

Believes  ae  passage  true,  anither  no, 
Na,  na,  a  wiser,  better  man  is  he, 

O  were  all  mankind  like  him  here  below  ! 

Nae  growling  then  wad  he  'bout  this  and  that, 

Nae  frothy,  noisy,  vain,  translucent  fools, 
The  shoals  o'  folk  cilive  here,  weel  I  wat, 

Wad  be  as  quiet  as  them  amang  the  mools. 

O,  Willie  Birlie,  was  I  but  like  thee. 

Wad  mither  nature  own  me  for  a  child  ? 
O  could  I  ramble  with  a  saul  as  free 
'  As  you  amang  the  hills  and  rocks  sae  wild. 

Sink  to  my  grave  like  thee  by  calm  degrees, 
Hae  sic  grand  hopes  beyond  that  dark  abode. 

Resign  myself  to  fate's  most  stem  decrees. 
And  live  in  peace  with  all  mankind  and  God. 

Whush-show — A   call  made  by  sportsmen  to  start    game ; 
they  will  rummage  the  haunts^  and  call  whush-shoWy  when 


478  WHU  WHU 

wood-cocks  are  a  seeking  for.  Whur-cocks  is  the  call,  when 
up  flutter  the  birds;  whiles  poachers  blatter  at  them,  and 
the  shot-lead  is  heard  rattling  on  the  trees.  Whush  also 
means  a  noise  or  fame ;  thus  a  marriage  makes  a  whush  for 
a  while  on  a  kintra  side^  and  any  other  great  thing.  When 
people  marry,  and  when  they  die,  the  character  is  sounded 
Whushers  and  whusheringSy  mean  whispers  and  whisper- 
ings. This  book  of  mine  may  or  may  not  make  a  whush  for 
a  little ;  every  dog  has  his  day ;  even  Haggart  the  murderer 
had  his : — 

VERSES  EXTEMPORE,  AFTER  READING  THE  LIFE 

OF  HAGGART. 

Light-fingered  Davie  ve  hae  been, 

A  curious,  clever  chiel, 
But  hoch-anee,  its  easy  seen, 

Ye  hae  been  a  clever  de'iL 

Thy  passions  mad  and  genius  bright. 

Did  keep  thee  ay  fii'  thrang ; 
Thou  felt  the  pith  o'  inward  might. 

But  let  that  might  gae  wrang. 

Auld  Scotland  now  has  cause  to  brag, 

Gif  she  be  called  upon. 
That  she  has  bred  as  sly  a  wag, 

As  e'er  was  Barrington. 

I  wat  ye  war  a  crafty  boy. 

And  cud  millvader  fine, 
And  plump  a  fallow's  benjie-cloyy 

'Twas  there  where  ye  did  shine. 

The  poet  too,  I  do  not  doubt, 

His  mystic  ye  did  ken. 
Ye  were  like  Savage^  near  about. 

And  he  ca'd  famous  Ben. 

For  baith  o'  thae,  against  the  will. 

In  some  stranee  frolic  wild. 
By  some  queer  blow  a  man  did  kill. 

Yet  were  not  much  revilM. 

And  Shakspeare,  too,  lap  owre  some  dykes, 

A  graiping  Lucy's  dcer^ 
Big  bards  are  a  big  blackguard  tykes. 

Nor  Bums  nor  me  are  clear. 

Unless  the  conscience  stangs  awa. 

Our  feelings  are  a*  sham, 
Our  genius  will  make  nought  ava. 

But  sangs  no  worth  a  damn. 


WHU  WIL  479 

Sae  Davie,  I  lament  your  fate, 

Ye  might  been — wha  can  tell  ? 
I  hope  ye  may  be  the  right  gate, 

And  thy  buik  brunt  in  hell. 

Whusky  pig — The  jar  which  holds  the  whisky ;  whiskied,  a 
person  is  said  to  be  so  when  a  little  tipsy. 

Whutstane — A  whetstone  ;  whutting  d  drink,  a  little  spirits 
which  whet  the  wits  ;  whuttling,  a  whispering,  a  quickening, 
&c.;  whuttle,  also  a  whetstone. 

Whyripe — To  mourn,  to  torment  with  mourning;  thus  one 
always  railing  against  this  world  whyripes,  frets,  &c;  a  wife 
of  this  temper  is  past  enduring  :  I  know  some  who  are  ever 
whyriping  on  their  poor  devils  of  husbands.  IVhyriping 
and  wyringing  are  one. 

WicKERTON — An  old  cross-grained  b of  a  wife ;  one  of  the 

d^iPs  daughters  by  the  third  wife. 

Wild  Scots  o'  Gallowa — There  is  now  no  knowing,  I 
believe,  when  this  term  was  first  applied  to  our  ancestors, 
nor  can  the  reasons  be  properly  stated  why  they  became 
honoured  with  such  a  title,  for  an  honour  of  the  highest 
nature  it  must  have  been.  The  word  "  wild,"  in  my  opinion, 
has  something  grander  about  it  than  either  "  brave,"  or 
"  noble."  Indeed,  it  may  be  said  to  swallow  up  every  ap- 
pellation that  could  possibly  be  given  to  a  rare  warlike  race  ; 
and  when  it  was  bestowed  on  our  forefathers  tlirough  a  long 
and  eventful  period  of  the  Scottish  history — ^when  every 
Scotchman  of  pith  was  a  bowman,  a  sword-player,  skilled  in 
wielding  the  battle  axe,  and  quarter-staff — the  epithet  truly 
assumes  a  lofty  character.  Doubtless  many  a  Scotchman  in 
those  ancient  days,  who  was  no  Gallo\n[dian,  enlisted  himself 
under  the  banner  of  our  "  wild  men,"  merely  to  get  amongst 
glorious  "  untame  "  companions ;  the  same  as  now-a-days 
with  soldiers  of  "  spunk,"  they  would  rather  be  privates  in 
the  "  Forty-Twa,"  or  "  Auld  Highlan'  Watch,"  than  officers 
in  small  fameless  regiments. 


48o  WIL  WIL 

The  situation  of  Galloway  laid  it  open  in  these  days  to 
war  in  every  quarter ;  the  Southrons  infested  them  by  sea 
and  land ;  and  when  domestic  broils  broke  out  any  where 
in  Scotland  (things  by  no  means  imfrequent),  the  Gallori- 
dians  had  a  share  in  the  fray.  Such  work  then,  as  fighting, 
beating,  and  plundering  foes,  they  doubtless  well  understood, 
and  much  better,  it  seems,  than  any  other  tribe  in  Scotland, 
as  ancient  books  affirm  ;  and  Lord  Kaims,  in  his  writings  on 
Scotland,  says,  ''  That  in  all  the  great  battles  the  Scotch  had 
with  the  English,  the  Galiwegians  led  the  van,  led  the  brave 
Caledonians  on  to  victory  ;  they  were  a  race  of  warriors,  had 
no  fear  either  of  hunger  or  death,  and  were  called  The  Hlld 
Scots  d  Galloway'^  Just  as  the  Highlanders  now;-a-days 
do,  heading  the  British  troops,  and  driving  the  enemy  before 
the  point  of  the  bayonet  A  writer  sometime  ago  in  the 
public  prints,  made  a  long  harangue  against  '^  The  IVUi 
Scots  d  Galloway y^  and  seemed  to  have  a  hide  **  yeucking** 
for  some  Gallovidian  to  start  and  "  claVt "  with  a  bunch  of 
"  breers  ; "  but  no  one  minded  him  ;  they  let  him  fall  asleep 
with  the  "  lees "  in  his  "  gizzeron."  I  have  seen  nothing 
but  two  verses  of  poetry  wrote  against  him,  which  are 
not  so  bad — 

"THE  WILD  SCOTS  O'  GALLOWAY." 

Wha's  this,  wha  scowling  shaws  his  tusks, 

At  our  famous  auld  forefathers  ? 
We  doubt  he  is  a  foolish  gow, 

And  fond  o*  talking  blethers. 
For  wha  but  a  gomerall 

Wad  grasp  a  rung,  and  whap  and  blaw 
At  our  worthy  frien  s  o'  auld  lang  syne, 

The  Wild  Scots  o»  Gallowa  ? 

For  tho*  their  pantries  were  na  pang*d, 

Nor  their  kytes  weel  lin'd  wi  belly  timmer, 
What  de'il  cared  they  'bout  Fortune's  gifts, 

They  damn'd  the  hizzy  for  a  limmer  ? 
Tame  were  the  ither  Scots  to  them, 

The  Southron  loons  they  lo'ed  to  claw, 
Sae  patriots  ever  will  revere 

The  Wild  Scots  o'  Gallowa. 


WIS  VVRA  481 

Wish  IE-WASH  IE — Small  drink  ;  ale  without  foam  ;  whisky 
without  hells, 

Wizzen'd — Wilted,  shrunk ;  wallmued,  wasted ;  from  the 
German  weest,  TVize,  to  guide,  to  direct  JVizzeUy  or 
wyzeron^  the  throat;  for  food  is  laizeddown  it  to  the  stomach. 

Woo — Wool;  7uoo-cards,  carders  for  wool;  woo-creels^  wicker 
baskets  for  holding  wool,  spheroidal  formed,  like  spoon-creels  : 
woo-teazing^  refining  wool. 

WoucH — The  same  with  bouch^  a  dog's  bark. 

**  I  had  a  wee  dog  and  he  wouche<l  at  the  moon, 
**  If  my  sang  be  na  lang  it's  sooner  dune." 

An  Id  say. 

The  which  is  frequently  said  by  those  unwilling  to  sing  ;  they 
plead  hoarseness,  "  or  ill  wi*  the  caul ;"  a  gude  singer  maun 
ay  htfletclied  wi'  to  sing  ;  and  whiles,  in  lieu  of  the  above,  is 
said — 

**  Sing,  sing,  what  shall  I  sing? 

**  The  cat  ran  away  with  my  apron  string." 

Wow — To  wave  ;  he  iLmtfd  wi'  his  hat — 7vhan  I  woiu  stanfast; 
there  is  an  association  starts  with  this  phrase,  which  I  am  at 
a  loss  to  explain  ;  probably  brother  yamcs  can  do  it. 

Wrack-boxes — Little   oval-formed   boxes,   full   of  air,   found 

made  of  and  adhering  to    vegetable    sea-weed ;   what    a 

crackling  noise  they  hold  when  exploding  in  a  kelp-kill^  on 

Halloween  night !     Country  lads  living  by  shores  are  sure  to 

be  provided  with  a  stock  of  these  boxes ;  and  when  lovers 

are  a  burning  in  the  greeshoch,  in  the  shape  of  nuts,  some 

of  these  boxes  are  secretly  introduced  beneath  a  red  peaty 

which  in  time  explode,  to  the  grievous  astonishment  whiles 

of  the   anxious   lookers-on,   who   are   not   let   into  all  the 

mysteries,    and    who    believe    the    tremendous   reports  to 

proceed  from  the  nitSy  which  at  once  leads  to  the  conclusion, 

that  an  awful  eniption  will  take  or  has  taken  place  between 

the  sweethearts. 

2  H 


482  WRA  WRA 

Wraiths — Apparitions  of  a  certain  kind.      Suppose  a  per- 
son in   London    saw  his  dearest  friend  among  the  crowd, 
whom  he  was  sure  was  living  with  his  wife  and  family  at 
the  Clauchan  d  Davie,  in  Galloway,  at  that  same   moment, 
then  might  that  person  in  the  metropolis   say  he  had  seen  a 
wraith.     Wraiths    are    therefore    the   shadows    of  persons 
alive;  they  differ  from  ghosts,   which  are  the  shadows  of 
persons  dead.       But    both    wraiths    and    ghosts   are  sus- 
j)ected  to  have  more  concerning  them  than    a   mere  sha- 
dow.    A  ghost  is  always  thought  to  appear  for  vengeance- 
sake,  being  generally  these  of  some  >*Tonged  or  murdered 
persons.     Wraiths,  on  the  other  hand,  appear  as  the  har- 
bingers of  death,  and  sometimes  they  appear  in  the  like- 
ness  of  the  person   about   to   die,  to  the   eye ;    at  other 
times  they  do  not  appear  to  the  sight  at  all,  but  are  heard 
making  various  noises.      So  says  superstition    about   these 
beings.      For  my  own  part,  I  have  neither   seen  a  ghost 
nor  a  wraith  as  yet,  nor  heard  or  seen  anything  super- 
natural,  that    I   could   not  in  some  way  or  other  account 
for ;  but  all  men  are  not  so.      I  have  in   my    Legendary 
Wallet,  so  frequently  spoken  of,  scores  of  tales  and  stories 
about   these   and  all   other  creatures  of  the   same  stamp, 
which  have  been  often  both  seen  and  heard,  and  which  I 
would  now  write  down,  did  I  not  consider   them  as  too 
tedious  for  a  work  of  this  description  ;  for,  although  I  be  not 
a  great  believer  in  these   things,  I  have  my  doubts  about 
me,  which  have  made  me  anxious,  from  the  cradle  till  now, 
to  preserve   and   horde   up   the   smallest   trifle    respecting 
anything   of  the   kind.      To   speak   a   little   farther,    how- 
ever, a  young  man  with  whom  I  am  intimately  acquainted, 
and  who  is  never  known  to  tell  a  lie,  neither  to  me  nor  any 
other  person  ;  neither  was  he  a  believer  in   wraiths,  nor 
any  such  beings  until  the  other  day  there.      And  here  is 
the  cause  he  gives  for  the  alteration  taking  place   in  his 
belief. — "Last  vacans  (quoth  he),  I  gaed  awa  to  my  uncle's 


WRA  WRA  483 

or  rather  my  grandfather's,  to  stap  a-week  or  twa,  and 
play  myself  amang  the  Moorhills ;  neive  trouts,  and  learn 
twar  or  three  tunes  on  the  flute  ;  weel,  I  hadna  been  there 
ony  time  aworth,  till  I  saw  as  queer  a  thing  as  ought  ever 
I  saw,  or  may  see.  Ajit  out  at  the  house-en  ae  morn- 
ing, about  aught  o'clock,  and  a  bonny  harrest  morning  it 
was;  weel  ye  see,  am  making  a  bit  gnnwan  to  mysell 
to  tak  down  wi'  me  to  a  deep  pool  that  was  i'  the  bum,  fu' 
o'  trouts,  and  this  I  was  gaun  to  do  after  breakfast  time, 
for  as  yet  I  hadna  gat  my  sowens ;  weel  ye  see,  Tm  tying 
on  my  grin  wi'  a  bit  o'  wax'd  thread,  whan  by  the  house- 
en  comes  my  auld  granfather  wi'  his  clicked  staff,  that 
he  ay  had  wi'  him  in  ae  han,  and  in  the  tither  his  auld  loofie 
o'  a  mitten,  which  he  hadna  as  yet  drawn  on.  He  cam 
close  by  me,  and  gaed  a  kinn  o'  a  luik  at  what  I  was  doing, 
then  wised  himsell  awa  alang  the  hip  o'e  hill,  to  look  how 
the  nowt  did,  and  twa  young  foals,  as  was  his  usual  wont. 
Weel,  awa  he  gaed;  I  was  sae  thrang  when  he  gaed  by 
that  I  never  spak  to  him,  neither  did  he  to  me,  and  I 
began  to  think  about  this  whan  I  was  mair  at  laisure,  and 
gaed  a  glent  the  road  he  tuik,  just  to  see  like  how  the  auld 
body  was  coming  on,  for  he  was  on  the  borders  o'  four 
score,  yet  a  fearie  fell  auld  carle,  and  as  kine  a  body  as 
ever  I  saw ;  sae  I  gaed  a  glent,  as  I  was  saying,  alang  by 
the  scarrow  o'e  hill,  and  did  see  him  winglan  awa  by  the 
back-side  o'  the  auld  saugh  Lochan.  And  in  course  o* 
time,  maybe  no  ten  minutes  after,  I  stepped  my  waes  in 
to  see  gin  I  could  get  a  leap  or  twa  o'  sowens,  and  get 
aff  to  the  trouts ;  whan  wha  think  ye's  just  sitting  on  the 
sattle-stane  at  the  ingle-cheek  taking  a  blaw  o*  the  pipe — 
but  auld  granfather — *  Lord  preserve  me,'  said  I,  and  said 
na  mair ;  I  glowr*d  about  me  awsomly.  *  What's  wrang 
wi'  the  boy  ? '  (quoth  my  auntie) ;  *  come  out  (quo'  I),  and  I'll 
tell  ye,'  which  she  did.  We  gaed  up  the  hill  a  bit,  to  be 
sure,  as  she  said,  o*  the  thing  I  had  seen  ;  we  saw  nought 


484  WRA  WRA 

ava,  came  back  again  in  an  unco  way.  That  vara  night 
granfather  grew  ill,  which  was  on  a  Saturday  teen,  and 
he  was  dead,  [)uir  body,  or  sax  o'clock  on  Monday  moni- 
ing."  The  most  of  the  tales  I  have,  are  from  some 
who  heard  them  at  second  hand,  but  the  tale  I  have 
now  told,  was  told  me,  as  I  have  said,  from  the  person 
who  saw  the  MTaith  himself,  and  one  whom  I  believe  was 
telling  the  truth  as  nearly  as  any  p>erson  I  ever  knew. 
Another  man  however,  whom  I  give  equal  credit  to,  told 
me  the  following  : — "  That  afore  he  was  married,  there  was 
nae  body  lived  wi'  him  i'the  house  ava,  but  twa  men  wha 
were  his  labourers,  and  helped  him  to  work  the  farm ; 
ae  night  thae  t^-a  cheels  gaed  awa  a  sproaging  amang  the 
lassies,  and  I  sat  up  for  their  hame-coming  till  after  ten 
o'clock ;  after  that  I  gaed  awa  to  my  bed,  for  there  were 
nae  sines  o'  their  coming ;  but  whan  I  was  stripped,  and 
lay  in  my  auld  creevie,  de'il  a  wink  I  coud  sleep  \  I  kentna 
what  was  wrang  wi'  me  either,  sae  I'm  lying  dovering, 
that's  neither  sleeping  nor  waking,  but  atween  the  twa ; 
when  the  door  gaed  the  awsomest  brange  I  ever  heard,  as 
if  somebody  had  struck  it  wi'  a  sledge-hammer ;  than  1 
thought  it  was  catched  and  shooken,  as  it  were,  a*  to 
fliners.  By  this  time  I  was  on  my  feet,  and  making  for't 
full  drive,  wi'  an  auld  swoople  in  my  neive,  whan  I  cam 
till't.  The  door  that  I  thought  was  a'  in  smash,  is  hingin 
on  its  hinges,  the  same  way  as  when  I  gaed  lie.  I  open'd 
it  mair  than  ance,  glowr'd  at  it  wi'  the  light  o'  the  moon, 
and  gaed  out  into  the  close,  the  length  o'  the  S7aine-t rough, 
but  nought  saw  I,  everything  was  quiet  but  my  heart,  I 
thought  it  wad  hae  jumped  clean  out  o'  my  brisket ;  lord  ! 
what  wallops  it  gaed.  In  I  cam  again,  pat  on  my  claise, 
and  waited  for  my  men  wi'  the  greatest  anxiety.  Pat 
about  half  an  ounce  o'  tobacco  in  my  mouth  at  ance,  sat 
down  by  the  fire  and  whistled  on  the  dogs  about  me. 
While  sae  sitting,  the  door  gets  anither  brange,  up  I  started. 


WRA WRA  485 

but  saw  nothing  again  which  I  might  say  was  the  cause, 
and  what  astonished  me  as  meikle  as  ought,  the  collies 
never  gaed  a  single  yelp,  which,  if  they  had  heard  the 
noise,  or  gin  ony  human  had  been  about,  wi'  their  growls 
and  bouchs  wad  hae  been  like  to  bring  down  the  house. 
1  near  gaed  demented  now,  and  whan  the  men  cam  hame 
about  an  hour  after,  they  faun'  me  reeling  about  like  a 
madman.  Ane  o*  the  bound  men  ay  lay  wi'  me  in  my 
bed  after  that  until  I  gat  the  wife.  Mony  a  week  after  1 
thought  about  the  noise  o*  the  door,  whan  ae  Sunday  eve, 
about  three  months  after,  am  reading  a  bit  o'  the  Bible,  whan 
a  bit  neebour  boy  cam  ben  wi'  a  letter,  the  seal  being  black 
startled  me :  soon  I  open  it,  and  what  was  in  it  but  the 
doolfu'  account  o'  my  brither's  death,  i'that  terrible  Ja- 
maica Island.  He  had  just  de'ed  a  day  or  twa  after  I  had 
heard-  the  unco  rumbling  at  the  door,  which  was  his 
wraith^  nae  doubts,  lord  be  wn*  him  I "  But  to  finish  this 
article  :  two  men  once  told  me  the  following : — They  went 
into  a  public-house  one  day  together,  to  have  a  bottle  o' 
ale  between  them,  the  weather  being  warm  ;  when  they 
had  the  ale  decanted  out  of  the  bottle,  and  were  just 
taking  their  private  "  crack "  together,  some  invisible  hand 
struck  the  upper  surface  of  the  table  three  distinct  blows, 
as  if  with  a  wand.  Nothing  on  the  table  was  injured  by 
the  strokes ;  the  glasses  in  which  was  the  ale  were  not 
upset,  nothing  was  deranged  in  point  of  situation,  but 
their  hearts,  as  they  thought;  up  they  both  started  and 
made  for  the  door,  leaving  the  ale  undrank ;  in  a  few  days 
afterwards  they  heard,  to  their  great  grief,  that  a  dear 
cronie  of  theirs  was  no  more ;  one,  when  they  were  all 
met  together,  used  to  sing,  "  Here  are  we  met,  three 
merry  boys."  I  could  fill  a  quarto  volume  about  mraiths^ 
and  after  I  had  done,  say  within  myself,  that  I  was  just 
where  I  started,  unable  positively  to  prove  their  existence, 
or   to  deny  them  totally.      On  these  things,   as  on  many 


486  WRA  WUL 

others,  every  man  ought  to  think  for  himself.     There  are 

either  something  real  in  them,  or  else  they  are  day  dreams ; 

dreams,  when  the  person  is  even  awake.     I  know  the  mind 

of  man  may  be  in  this  state,  particularly,  if  a  mind  of  fancy, 

or  hnagination,  and  may  even  be  actually  surprised  with  its 

own  creations ;  the  mind  at  this  time  is  in  a  double  state, 

one  part  of  it,  and  perhaps  its  least,  is  engaged  with  what 

the  hands  are  doing,  the  other  is  on  the  wild  and  roaming 

wander : — 

They  see  what  cannot  be  told — told — 
The  tale  which  none  can  unfold  ; 
The  poet's  eye  is  a  telescope, 
What  singular  worlds  'twill  ope,  ope. 

English  song  of  mine. 

Wrought  Banes — Sprained  bones  with  working;  how  often 
reapers  have  the  shackle-haru  wrought  in  the  harrest  tinu; 
many  a  time  my  heart  has  bled  to  see  a  sweet  young  girl 
oppressed  with  this  pain,  when  I  had  it  not  in  my  power  to 
aid  her ;  the  best  cure  for  it,  is  working  it  out  in  the  way  it 
was  wrought  in ;  sad  method,  yet  the  best ;  when  the  bones 
begin  to  make  ^jirging  noise,  they  are  on  the  mending  hand; 
eel-skins  are  bound  tightly  round  the  wrists  to  prevent  this  com- 
plaint, but  I  know  not  whether  they  do  much  good  or  not. 

WuDD — Mad  ;  red  wud,  stark  mad 

WuDwisE — A  yellow  flower,  which  grows  on  bad  land,  and  has 
a  bitter  taste. 

WuFF — A  person  of  flighty,  fiery  disposition. 

WuLL — Will,  also  wild ;  lu's  run  wuii,  he's  run  wild. 

WuLL     Nicholson,     the     Poet — William     Nicholson,    the 

» 

poet ;  such  is  the  truth  and  the  pleasure  I  feel  in  saying 
so  is  of  the  highest  kind.  W^illiam  certainly  is  a  rustic 
bard  of  the  first  degree.  Some  years  ago  he  published 
a  little  volume,  which  has  more  delighted  me  than  many 
ten  times  its  size ;  the  beauty  of  a  book  is  not  in  its  bulk : 
indeed,  "  a  great  book  is  a  great  evil."  His  bardship 
wanders  through  the  country  a  pedlar,  and  plays  the  bag- 


VVUL  WUL  487 

pipes ;  everybody  is  fond  of  him,  his  cracks  are  extremely 
diverting,  so  humorous,  yet  so  melancholy ;  as  a  song  writer, 
he  may  rank  with  any  but  Burns  ;  his  Wild-wood  side — The 
Braes  d  Gallowa — My  only  /lope  my  Harry,  (7,  and  some 
others,  are  truly  excellent ;  they  have  all  that  simplicity  and 
genius  which  constitute  good  Scottish  songs ;  and  as  a 
proof  of  their  worth,  they  are  beginning  to  be  sung  by 
all  the  peasantry ;  when  this  is  the  case,  further  praise 
is  needless ;  to  Fame  they  then  go,  and  stand  the  brunts 
of  ages  unshaken.  For  all  the  songs  Sir  Walter  hath  wrote, 
few  or  none  of  them  do  this,  which  is  certainly  much  against 
their  longevity ;  none  but  2i  peasant  can  touch  the  feelings  of 
the  peasantry,  to  all  others  they  remain  impregnable.  My 
friend  William's  poems  are  also  substantial  rustic  buildings, 
his  Country  Lass  is  a  dear  creature,  and  will  live  at  least  five 
hundred  years ;  the  tale  has  plot,  and  is  touched,  if  not  by  a 
master's  hand,  at  least  by  an  old  journeyman's.  Rural 
Retirement  also  is  a  favourite  with  me,  particularly  that  verse 

This  life's  just  like  yon  toddling  bum, 

Tho'  cross  craigs  whiles  may  stint  it, 
Comes  soughing  by  ilk  thrawart  turn, 

And  never  looks  ahint  it. 

My  wish  is,  that  he  will  lay  dowTi  the  pack  for  a  while,  and 
publish  whatever  other  things  in  MS.  he  may  have  by  him  ; 
and  if  he  feels  loath  to  do  this,  let  some  other  one  do  it 
for  him ;  let  the  world  return  him  his  cash  for  the  pleasure 
he  offers ;  the  hearts  of  the  Scotch  have  never  been  back- 
ward in  approving  genuine  worth,  and  about  JVull  Nicholson, 
there  is  a  melancholy,  and  an  independence,  that  will  ever 
cause  him  to  be  admired  by  true  Caledonians.  And  should 
all  mankind  desert  him,  I  hope  he  will  find  me  never 
far  away ;  whatever  I  can  do  for  the  good  of  that  man. 
so  shall  it  be.  If  I  have  a  saxpcnce  in  the  world,  a  part 
of  it  be  his,  and  a  word  to  spare,  let  that  be  said  in  his 
favour. 


488  WUL WUL 

WuLLiE    (Irayson — Those    who    have    known    a    man   of 
original   character,   never  forget  him ;   death    may   do  his 
will  with  him,  but  memory  keeps  him  alive.     A  pleasure  is 
felt  when  speaking  of  such  a  man,  even  although  it  would 
be  better  sometimes  to  padlock  the  tongue  respecting  him. 
When  I  do  so  about  the  departed  IViliie  GracU^  properly 
^^'illiam  Grayson,  I  feel  these  sensations  strong ;  a  warmer 
hearted,  a  more  humorous  and  manly  fellow  than   Williey 
hath  seldom   been   known.      He  was  a   true    Gallovidian, 
though  his  father  Caleb  came  from  the  sister  kingdom ;  he 
came,  I  believe,  when  very  young,  and  being  a  tanner  by 
trade,   moreover  an   industrious,   plodding    soul,    he   soon 
amassed  as  much  cash   as   enabled   him  to  purchase  the 
Tannaree    at    Millbum,   beside   Kirkcudbright,    where  our 
hero,  Willie,  was  bom.     Had  his  father,  the  old  English- 
man, not  had  so  much  cash,  probably  his  noble-soul*d  son 
would  have  yet  been  alive,  and  one  of  the  best  of  human 
beings  in  Galloway.     Poor  fellow,  the  worms  are  now  his 
kinsmen ;  yet  still  do  we  see  him  coming  down  the  street 
of  his  native  village,  as  few  are  seen  coming,  who  can  give 
one  of  his  manly  swings ;  there  are  many  independent  men, 
apparently,  who  seem  not  to  cringe,  and  all  the  rest  of  it, 
at  seasons.     But   Willie   was   independent   always ;    he  in- 
herited the  glorious  gift  directly  from  Nature.     At  all  balls, 
baptisms,   weddings,    raffles,  jerkins,  piys,  sprees^    and   ffra}s 
of  every  kind,  he  made  himself  a  welcome  guest ;  and  the 
contents  of  his  purse   he   freely  flashed  on  all   occasions, 
yes,    to    the   greatest   extravagance.     He   had  no  fault,  as 
the  auid  wives  said  of  him,  but  being  "  7varst  for  himsellf 
His  mother-wit  was  of  the  first   kind,  none  of  your  Irish 
ginger     repartee,     but     broad     downright     honest     Scotch 
humour,  similar  to  that  possessed  in  such  an  eminent  degree 
by   the   famous    Robert   Burns.       Of  mankind,   he  was  an 
excellent   judge ;    those   whom   he    thought  well   of,   "  ane 
might  hae  radc  \k\(:  ford  wT  at  ony  time,"  as  the  saying  is  ; 


WUL WUL  489 

yes,  these  persons  admired  by  IVii/ie,  would  not  have  de- 
ceived and  led  those  away  into  deep  water,  who  trusted 
in  them,  and  there  have  left  them  to  perish.  Of  books 
he  was  as  good  a  critic ;  those  he  delighted  to  read,  or 
those  pieces  of  poetry  he  quoted  ;  all  men  of  a  free  natural 
disposition  do  the  same;  yet  for  all,  ardent  spirits  over- 
came him,  and  he  died  of  apoplexy  when  about  thirty 
years  of  age.  Though  much  given  to  debauchery,  he  was 
greatly  respected  and  pitied  to  the  last ;  he  was  much  too 
social  to  do  any  good  in  this  world,  and  the  best  hand  at 
raising  the  wind,  that  perhaps  has  appeared  this  century. 
He  would  have  started  a  merry  meeting  in  a  twinkling,  on 
nothing,  or  about  nothing  at  all ;  and  was  still  Wil/ie 
Grade  whether  among  a  party  of  the  first-rate  gentlemen, 
or  the  most  ignoble  of  mankind  ;  for  in  the  course  of  a 
day,  often,  he  would  be  seen  with  the  greatest  and  the 
meanest  of  the  land ;  he  was  just  as  much  at  his  ease  with 
the  nobleman  as  the  blackguard — still  surrounded  by  that 
natural  halo  of  worth  which  made  him  always  so  attractive. 
When  in  gaol  for  debt,  as  he  now  and  then  had  the  mis- 
fortune to  be,  when  his  father  would  not  pay  smarts  and 
clear  him  out  of  scrapes,  young  ladies  of  the  first 
families  in  the  town  showed  much  compassion  for  him,  and 
either  sent  him  books  or  bottles  of  spirits  to  pass  away 
the  time  every  day,  so  that  the  debtors'  room,  where  he 
was  in,  was  more  like  a  place  of  good  cheer,  than  a 
melancholy  den  in  a  prison.  His  favourite  toast,  when  thus 
carousing  in  durance,  was,  "Here's  to  the  King  and 
Ma — rg — y  M — 1 — He,  no  forgetting  Saicnie  Jlaugh  and 
Mrs.  J — lly."  Those  who  know  these  characters  men- 
tioned in  the  toast,  are  the  only  persons  who  know  its 
worth.  When  he  was  let  out  of  gaol  at  one  time,  a  gen- 
tleman met  with  him  in  the  street,  and  after  having  shook 
him  kindly  by  the  hand,  and  asked  how  he  was,  began  to 
wonder  how  he  got  to  be  so  fat  in  a  place  of  confinement. 


490  WUL  WUL 

"  Wonder  nothing  about  that,  (quoth  Willie)  for  how  could 
I  be  otherwise,   seeing  I  have  been  so  long  stall  fed?** 
Indeed,  he  always  had  on  a  most  contented  garb  of  flesh, 
and  stood  more  than  six  foot  high ;  sometimes  he  had  his 
whiskers  in  one  cut,  sometimes  in  another ;  when  walking 
about  with  his  majestic  air,  his  head  inclined  to  a  side  a 
little,  whiles  he  would  dress  like  a  sailor,  and  sport    his 
huge   body  about   in    jacket  and    trowsers,    with   all   the 
mariners  in  the  port  following  in  his  wake.     At  other  times 
he  was  a  horse  jockey,  in  wide  frock  coat,  and  boots  bespat- 
tered with  mud :  thus  would  he  toss  through   the  streets 
of  the  old  Borough,  amongst  all  the  inns  and  public-houses 
as  if  he  was  doing  an  immense  business ;  indeed  he  was 
always  throng  doing   nothing  or   something  less.     His  ac- 
quaintances were  most  numerous ;  there  were  some  persons 
who  knew  Willie  Grayson  in  almost  every  town  in  Britain 
and  Ireland,  and  not  a  few    perhaps,  in  the  Indies  and 
the  United  States  of  America.     He  danced  and  drank  at 
bridals  with  great  glee,  and  to  see  his  vast  bulk  evolving 
down  a   country  dance,  it  inspired  the  whole   party  with 
mirth,  for  he  was  an  excellent  dancer ;  he  could  not,  per- 
haps, like  a  light  person,  "  cut  double  quick  time,"  as  ii 
is  called,  but  he  was  a  master  of  ^^  steps  of  his  own  in- 
vention, which  were  much  more  amusing.     Then  he  went 
through  all  the  ceremonies  with  such  a  manly  ease,  that 
when  he  was  performing  them  they   did  not  seem  to  be 
ceremonies  at  all.     Indies  and  gentlemen,  young  and  old, 
were  all  alike    fond    of    the    harmless    humourous    Willie 
Gracie.     Once  when    he    was    at    a    dancing-school    ball, 
where  a  great    many  young  ladies  were    "gaun    through 
their  stei)s,"  as  it  is  said,  before  the  parents,  an    elderly 
lady  who  was  sitting  beside  our  hero,  directed  his  attention 
to  a  young  lady  then  dancing  on  the  floor,  and  wished  him 
to  give  his  opinion  respecting  her — "  Is  she  not   just  like 
an    angel,    that   girl    there  ? "    said    our  married    dame    to 


WUL  WUL  491 

Willie ;  "  I  cannot  say  (returned  he,  very  serious)  for  I 
have  never  seen  an  angel  yet,  wherewith  I  might  compare 
her."  Indeed  his  mother-wit  was  of  the  first  kind,  and 
anecdotes  of  his  own  invention  just  flowed  on  him.  Great 
was  his  humanity  too ;  once  when  a  hard  firost  had  bound 
the  river  Dee  with  ice  from  shore  to  shore,  a  boy  happening 
to  slide  on  some  weak  piece  when  the  thaw  had  come  on, 
which  broke  from  the  main  body,  taking  the  poor  wretch 
with  it  furiously  down  the  stream.  Grayson  being  on 
the  shore,  and  observing  the  poor  boy  thus  in  the 
greatest  danger  and  crying  out  for  help,  plunged  in 
amongst  the  melted  and  melting  ice,  swam  to  him  in  spite 
of  the  most  chilling  cold,  and  other  obstacles,  and  suc- 
ceeded in  bringing  him  safe  to  his  desponding  parents  ; 
what  could  exceed  this  in  tenderness  and  natural  sym- 
pathy ?  He  was  an  excellent  swimmer  for  all  his  vast 
bulk ;  quite  a  Dr.  Franklin  or  a  Byron  in  the  water,  and 
sometimes  too,  like  that  last-mentioned  poetic  personage,  he 
would  amuse  himself  in  the  water  with  a  large  New- 
foundland dog.  In  truth,  it  was  the  largest  and  most 
strange  dog  I  ever  saw;  had  it  not  been  so,  it  would 
not  have  been  chosen  by  Willie  for  a  fit  companion,  as 
every  article  about  him  was  always  of  the  oddest  kind  ; 
his  staffs  were  unmatched  for  shape,  being  always  of 
strange  wood,  and  of  stranger  forms ;  his  snuff-box^  which 
was  as  large  as  any  three  of  the  common  sort,  was  made 
after  the  soap  box  fashion,  and  always  well  filled  with 
the  best  Macabaa,  or  with  the  smartest  Irish  Black- 
guard;  and  though  he  snuffed  but  little  himself,  he  was 
not  slack  in  presenting  it  to  others,  which  he  used  to  do 
with  the  most  laughable  courtesy.  When  the  volunteers 
started,  he  took  to  the  field  with  them  at  once,  first  in 
the  cavalry,  but  being  too  weighty  for  his  horse  to 
carry,   he  left  off  being  aide-de-camp  to  General  Gordon, 


492  WUL  WUL 

and  became  a  lieutenant  in  the  infantry ;  respecting  his 
horsemanship,  he  was  one  of  the  very  best  at  it,  not- 
withstanding his  corpulency.  Once  when  he  was  riding 
to  the  Dumfries  rood  fair,  on  a  small  horse  he  had  of 
a  white  colour,  called  Crap^  he  came  up  with  two  of 
the  sons  of  Erin  on  the  road  walking  on  foot,  and,  says 
the  one  to  the  other,  while  he  was  passing  them,  "  Is  not 
that,  Barney^  a  damned  fine  horse  ? "  "  It  is,  honey  (re- 
plied his  comrade),  but  soul,  it  has  its  load  too,  I  think." 
With  that  horse  he  would  ride  up  and  down  precipices  at 
fox  hunts  and  other  occasions,  which  frightened  good 
climbers  on  foot  to  attempt,  for  he  had  very  little  fear  al- 
ways about  him,  and  was  fond  of  hunting,  both  on  horse  and 
foot ;  and  fonder  of  a  badger  or  pole-cat  hunt  than  of  any 
other.  He  never  was  a  good  shot,  but  he  always  did  shoot, 
whether  the  game  was  in  reach  or  not ;  for,  as  he  said 
himself,  "Who  knows  where  a  blister  may  light?"  To 
shoot  young  crows  he  delighted  in,  particularly  when  he 
had  a  party  of  people  with  him  who  had  not  shot  many 
guns  before,  then  what  fun  he  had  with  their  blunders  ;  his 
raillery  surpassed  any  thing  for  mirth,  and  yet  was  never 
ill  taken  by  those  whom  it  was  pointed  at.  And  a  party 
always  attended  him  of  various  orders,  such  as  A^ailors 
and  half-bred  Lawyers — for  he  generally  carried  with  him 
a  flask  of  good  spirits,  and  plenty  of  cash  to  buy  more 
when  it  began  to  be  ebbed ;  he  was  a  great  friend  to  the 
spirit  dealers,  and  would  sometimes  adorn  the  shoulders 
of  their  wives  with  shawls,  and  their  bodies  with  gowns, 
and  for  no  adulterous  motive  ;  for  this  crime,  or  for  that  of 
debauching  young  women,  he  never  was  blamed.  His 
charity  was  of  the  most  extensive  nature  ;  he  gave — God 
knows  what  he  gave  away  for  this  purpose,  it  was  so  much. 
Some  of  those  poor  people  he  gave  to  thanked  him,  others 
not,    as    the    charitable    ever    find.     An  old  woman  once 


WUL WUL  493 

rejected  a  sheefs  head  and  fed  he  sent  her,  saying,  "  WTiat 
use  were  sic  things  to  her,  unless  they  were  sung;  had 
Willie  sent  me  sax  pence  to  fill  my  cutty  wi'  tobacco,  I  wad 
hae  thanked  him  in  a  different  way."  It  was  past  his  power 
to  behold  any  being  in  distress  and  not  try  to  ameliorate  it. 
In  short,  he  run  his  virtues  into  vices,  by  going  to  extremes, 
but  he  always  said — "  he  could  not  help  it,"  which  was  true, 
for  he  could  not  "  mtfre  Imnselly^  as  is  said  when  man  wants 
self-control. 

It  is  needless,  however,  to  speak  of  his  great  talents 
or  his  great  errors  farther;  those  who  knew  him  best, 
knew  well,  that  for  his  abilities  they  cannot  be  praised 
too  much,  and  his  vices  enough  execrated.  Were  I  as 
he  was,  in  some  things  I  have  noticed  in  the  course  of 
this  sketch,  I  might  consider  myself  very  clever  indeed; 
but  in  other  things,  I  hope  God  may  keep  me  clear  of 
them.  Let  his  errors  sink  to  oblivion  though,  and  his 
excellent  feelings  remain  amongst  us  while  a  Gallovidian 
exists. 

A  friend  of  his,  on  hearing  of  his  death,  allowed  his  soul 
to  break  forth  in  these  verses  : — 


Poor  Willie  Gracie,  what  is  this  of  thee  ? 

Art  thou  gone  down  to  doze  within  the  grave, 
Art  thou  forsaken  every  merry  spree, 

Has  Death,  the  Tyrant,  got  thee  made  a  slave  ? 
O  !  but  he  is  a  base,  a  bloody  knave, 

To  coop  thee  up  in  a  cold  gloomy  urn  ! 
But  vain  it  is  for  me  at  him  to  rave, 

For  all  my  sayings  he  will  only  spurn, 

And  laughing  shout,  **  thou  never  shalt  return." 

But  can  he  hinder  me  for  thee  to  weep? 

And  stem  the  tears  that  down  my  cheeks  do  flow  ; 
Xay,  not  unless  he  lays  me  down  to  sleep. 

Like  thee,  poor  Willie,  in  the  dust  below. 
For  while  I  live  and  wander  to  and  fro 

On  this  strange,  mystic,  silent  rolling  ball, 
My  heart  for  thee  will  often  beat  in  woe, 

And  mourn  and  bleed  about  thy  early  fall  ; 

For  such  a  man  again,  I  ne'er  shall  hnd  at  all. 


494  WUL  WUR 

I  have  matter  to  fill  many  a  sheet  in  the  way  I  have  done 
about  him,  but  prudence  makes  me  end  here  with  an  Epitaph, 
some  one  or  other  composed  on  him. — 

EPITAPH. 

Here,  in  his  cold  urn 
Lies  the  King  of  the  Millbum  ; 
Death  hath  this  monarch  humbled, 
And  in  this  grave  his  body  tumbled. 
He  was  made  up  of  good  and  ill, 
Yet  he  was  warmly  loved  still  ; 
His  heart  was  ever  just  and  kind, 
Big  was  the  man,  and  big  his  mind  ; 
The  sun  hath  seldom  set  his  face  on 
Such  a  lad  as  William  Grayson. 

Wullie-Wagtail — The  water-wagtail  bird. 

WuLLSHOCH — A  timid  courtier ;  "  A  faint  heart  never  gains 

a  fair  lady ;  "   "  None  but  the  brave  deserves   the   fair." 

"  Mori  pro  patria  est  dulce  " — "  To  die  for  one's  country  is 

sweet,"  but  to  die  for  one's  love  is  sweeter.      IVuiiymrt  and 

WuUshoch  are  one. 

WuRGiLL — This  and  Wurling  are  one  to  the  meaning  ;  both 
signify  a  person  of  narrow  mind,  given  to  this  world's 
care. 

WuRRicow — A  hobgoblin  of  rather  an  infernal  order  ;  co7v  is  a 
kind  of  de'il^  but  worri-cow  is  a  worrying  de*il ;  probably 
some  may  wish  to  hear — 

THE  WAILINGS  O'  THE  WORRICOW. 

Whan  the  sun-light  out  o'  Killhow  had  gane, 
Ane  worricow  sat  on  the  auld  grey  stane  ; 
It  seem'd  to  fin'  a  ncdeum,  for  loud  it  did  grane. 
And  gaunted  out  Hech-how-hum. 

The  neb  o't  was  clouped,  and  sharp  were  its  claws, 
And'  they  chirket  on  ither  its  lang  thin  jaws  ; 
And  ay  now  and  than  for  some,  l>ecause 
It  sang  dolefu'  Hech-how-hum. 

*'  Weel  may  I,  ay,  may  I,  sae  may  I  mourn," 
Quoth  it,  *'  for  my  guid  friens  o'  Bogle  Burn, 
'*  I'the  Buss  o'  Biel  now  they  dinna  sojourn, 
"  Billielu-ya- Hech-how-hum." 


WUR WYT  495 

'*  Where  the  hule  was  invented,  this  light  o'  lair, 
**  Whilk  now  to  see  shining,  makes  me  ay  sair, 
'*  It  has  frighten'd  my  cronies  awa  for  ever  mair, 
**  Valloch  hu  ye,  Ilech-how-hum. 

*'  It's  needless  for  me  now  to  yoke  to  and  croon 
**  Aneath  the  weak  beams  o*  a  gibbous  moon  ; 
*'  For  the  l>eing  scared  a'  men  hae  got  aboon, 
"Taho-a-hu-ya,  llech-how-hum. 


'*  And  as  for  my  mighty  master,  the  I)e*il, 
**  They  l(K)k  on  him  just  like  a  common  cheel  ; 
**  For  the  jwwer  o'  his  glaumer  they  never  feel, 
**  O  !  hum,  O  !  yao,  Hech-how-hum. 

**  Through  a*  kirk-yards  now  the  folk  can  gang, 
**  At  the  mirkiest  hour,  and  sing  a  bit  sang, 
**  They  never  trimmle,  or  fins  ought  wrang, 
**  Holyaala,  Ilech-how-hum. 

**  Your  Rtntniree  Ron  and  the  Co'  o^  Kirclaughy 

**  The  Bnllister  Glen^  and  the  Bucky  Haugh^ 

*'  Men  now  cares  na  for,  they  can  gang  in  them  and  laugh, 

**  Bummle-whara,  Hech-how-hum. 

"  Curse  on  the  dominies  and  colleges  a', 

**  For  they  hin'er  us  to  carry  on  weel  now  ava  ; 

'*  May  knowledge  some  night  again  smoor  i'  the  sna', 

*  *  WuUin-a-u-ya,  Hech-how-  hum. " 

WuTCH-scoRE — Anciently,  witches  were  scored  or  cut  above  the 
eyes,  to  prevent  their  cantrips  taking  effect.  The  method 
they  took  to  prove  females  having  witchcraft  was,  by  throw- 
ing them  into  a  deep  pool  of  water;  if  they  sank  they  were  no 
witches,  but  if  they  swim'd,  they  were,  and  so  were  taken  out, 
and  brunt  accordingly. 

WvLE — To  entice,  to  coax  ;  also  a  rope-twister. 

WvTE — Blame.  Lindsay  of  Pitscottie^  our  worthy  and  honest 
Scottish  historian,  sayetli,  that  fornication  was  to  wyte^ 
for  the  Scotch  losing  the  battle  of  Flodden  ;  and  St,  yohn^ 
of  Linlithgow,  sayeth,  that  mclling  with  ivometi  before  a 
battle  is  what  is  not  right.  Our  soldiers  too  had  nigh 
tint  the  battle  of  Waterloo  by  tnelling  at  mouth-thankless 
the  eve  before  it ;  many  an  officer  there  was  buried  in 
his  dancing  pumps  after  that  bluidy  bout ;  and  many  have 


494 


alxnil  W 

SollK'  (»I 


Wri  i.ir:-W\(;i 

Wri.T.sifoiii 
a  fair  lady  ; 
*•  Mori  pro  ]•■ 
sweet,"  but  i- 
WulIshocJi  ar. 

\Vi'R<;iM.--'rhi- 
siiziiity    a     ]»«.■ 
( ;irc. 

\Vi  RkK  «i\v-  -A  :  • 
kind  of  iicil.  ' 
sialic  iiiav  ^vi>^^ 


Till.  V. 

Winn  •'  ■ 

Alii'  \\  "■  :  . 
It   v^t  III"..   ■ 

Ai.-l  i:;ur  ; 

XV.v  iicl    ■■ 
An-l  till  \  •  ". 

I:  -.;■■!;■:  .1..1 

"  \\.  K-\  i;i.v. 
<  hiulli  i:.   "  • 
••  I':  .    Hi;-     .  ■ 
•'  l:i;Iir!i:-% -! 


name  of  Maxwell,  who  was  drowned  in  Fleet  The  people 
attached  some  superstition  to  these  tykts.  A  verse  of  a  song 
on  the  subject  ran  thus — 

■ '  The  nighi  was  dark,  the  walcr  statk, 

"  And  nane  to  help  the  nuin, 
"  Sue  death  accost,  and  sae  wiu  losi 

"Biave  Maiwcllo'  SlraniiaH." 

Yerl  o'  Hell — The  Laird  d  Slagarie ;  one  of  the  wildest 
wretches  ever  known  in  the  world,  He  and  his  sons  neither 
dreaded  hell  nor  the  Devil;  they  were  in  the  poet's  eye  when 
he  wrote  this  strange  poem — 

THE  BURNING  O'  THE  BIBLE. 

For  a'  Anld  Scoilan'i  weel  ken'd  lair. 

And  bulks  in  volumes  mony. 
Far  a'  her  lads  and  lasses  fair. 

Sweet,  sensible,  and  bonny  ; 
Sad  sighls  by  orra  times  arise. 

Oh  1  shudderin  to  the  soul. 
As  that  whilk  did  us  a  surprise 

last  year  M  Auchenhoul 

Ae  wild  dark  night 

There  won'd  ane  haUion  o'  a  laird 

As  mony  a  ane  has  seen, 
Wha  lo'ed  to  shave  a  tenant's  beanl 

Till  [ears  stood  in  Ihe  e'en  ; 
lie  was  a  bachelor,  and  did  hate 

To  see  a  woman  body. 
And  puir  fowk  dur^t  na  gang  the  nle 

O'  that  de'll's-scurr,  I  jinl  Wuddie, 
To  bide  a"  nighl. 

He  wa«  disliked  far  and  near, 

Nane  cared  for  him  bul  twa  ; 
Twa  no  unlike  the  savage  bear, 

Btaci  Jack  and  Major  Gaw. 
The  threesome  fear'd  na  heaven  nor  hell. 

But  danm'd  and  drunk  and  swore, 
They  alten  gaed  lo  the  Blut  BM, 

And  ilk  ane  waled  his  whore. 

To  pass  the  night. 

tnfenia]  men,  to  be  allow'd 

To  live  upon  the  earth  ; 
Vet  it  ii  Ti^i  that  whiles  there  should 

Big  rascals  here  hae  birth. 


496  YAB  YEL 

as  much  cause  to  be  tvyted  for  behaviour  in  that  aflfray, 
as  ever  King  Jamie  and  Mrs,  Foord  had  for  theirs— ^-^^«^, 
verbum  sat 


Y. 


Yabbock — A  chattering,  talkative  person;  a  gabbock,  sometimes 
this  is  pronounced  abbock.  It  is  nearly  the  same  with  yackuz^ 
a  person  ^\iO  yacks^  who  talks  thick;  who  ratherly  maunts^  yet 
is  fond  of  catting. 

Yallow-wvmed  ask — A  kind  of  lizard,  with  yellow  belly  and 
black  back,  seen  in  suspicious  places,  and  is  supposed  to  have 
poison  about  some  of  its  hinner-liths. 

Yallow-vorlings — The  birds  yellow-hammers,  sometimes 
termed  yoits.  These  birds,  like  the  stane-chackcrs^  are  dis- 
liked in  the  country. 

Yammer — To  whine,  to  fret. 

Y ANKER — The  same  with  Spanker,  a  tall,  clever  girl. 

Yark — A  blow.      Yarking-on,  lashing  away,  as  on  horseback. 

Yaud — An  old  mare.      Yauds,  jaded  horses. 

Yawp — The  cr\'  of  a  sickly  bird  ;  or  one  in  distress. 

Yef.l — Barren  ;  a  rock  is  said  to  be  yell  when  it  will  not  quarry 
but  with  gunpowder  ;  a  field  is  said  to  be  yell  when  nothing 
will  grow  on  it ;  a  cow  is  ydl  when  she  gives  no  milk, 
and  so  on. 

Yelu)ch — A  loud  yell.  Ydloching,  yelling  loudly.  Some 
Scottish  writer  says,  that  ^''  ^ox\d\\  yclloched  three  days  through 
the  City  of  Niniveh,  after  the  whaul  spewed  him  out  o'  her 
wynie." 

Yflt.pers — Dogs  which  barked  or  yelpt  for  some  time 
through  Galloway.     They  belonged  to  a  huntsman  of  the 


YEL  YER  497 

name  of  Maxwell,  who  was  drowned  in  Fleet  The  people 
attached  some  superstition  to  these  tykes,  A  verse  of  a  song 
on  the  subject  ran  thus — 

**The  night  was  dark,  the  water  stark, 

**  And  nane  to  help  the  man, 
*'  Sae  death  accost,  and  sae  was  lost 

"Brave  Maxwell  o*  Strcewhany 

Yerl  o'  Hell — The  Laird  d  Slagarie ;  one  of  the  wildest 
wretches  ever  known  in  the  world,  He  and  his  sons  neither 
dreaded  hell  nor  the  Devil;  they  were  in  the  poet's  eye  when 
he  wrote  this  strange  poem — 

THE  BURNING  O'  THE  BIBLE. 

For  a'  Auld  Scotlan's  weel  ken*d  lair, 

And  buiks  in  volumes  mony. 
Far  a'  her  lads  and  lasses  fair. 

Sweet,  sensible,  and  bonny  ; 
Sad  sights  by  orra  times  arise, 

Oh  !  shudderin  to  the  soul, 
As  that  whilk  did  us  a  surprise 

Last  year  at  Auchenhoul 

Ae  wild  dark  night 

There  won'd  ane  hallion  o'  a  laird 

As  mony  a  ane  has  seen, 
Wha  lo'ed  to  shave  a  tenant's  beard 

Till  tears  stood  in  the  e'en  ; 
He  was  a  bachelor,  and  did  hate 

To  see  a  woman  body. 
And  puir  fowk  durst  na  gang  the  gate 

O*  that  de'irs-scurr,  I^ird  Wuddie, 

To  bide  a'  night. 

He  was  disliked  far  and  near, 

Nane  cared  for  him  but  twa  ; 
Twa  no  unlike  the  savage  bear. 

Black  yock  and  Afajor  Gaw, 
The  threesome  feared  na  heaven  nor  hell, 

But  damn'd  and  drunk  and  swore, 
They  aften  gaed  to  the  Blue  Bell^ 

And  ilk  ane  waled  his  whore, 

To  pass  the  night. 

Infernal  men,  to  be  allow  M 

To  live  upon  the  earth  ; 
Yet  it  is  right  that  whiles  there  should 

Big  rascals  here  hae  birth. 

2  I 


498  YER —  YER 

Sae  then  we  even  frae  precept,  see, 
The  right  road  frae  tlie  wrang, 

And  shun  the  pain  nae  saul  can  dree, 
The  conscience  that  dis  stang. 

By  day  and  night. 

Weel,  at  the  laird's  o'  Auchenhoul 

Our  wicked  three  did  meet, 
As  aft  they  had,  and  owre  the  bowl 

Their  wild  lewd  tales  repeat 
And  ane  o'  them,  the  laird  himsell. 

The  brocket  scoolin  skyble, 
Which  ay  did  rather  bear  the  bell. 

Proposed  to  bu7^  the  Bible 

hR  han*  that  night. 

They  a*  agreed,  the  buik's  brought  forth, 

And  damned  a  foolish  thing, 
Containing  neither  sense  nor  worth, 

llian  intae  flames  they  fling. 
The  word  o*  gude,  our  glorious  light. 

And  trusty  guide  for  ever, 
Then  swore  an  aith  wi'  a'  their  might, 

**  To  perish  vile  deceiver  " 

Henceforth  that  night. 

Natur  was  mad,  her  thunner  cluds 

Row'd  blackly,  and  did  battle. 
The  wun  blew  heels,  owre  head  and  wuds, 

The  dawdin  hail  (lid  brattle. 
And  cross  the  lift,  the  lightning  swift. 

In  forked  wrath  did  flee, 
The  white  faem  frae  the  waves  did  drift. 

As  glad  to  lae  the  sea. 

That  awfu'  night. 

And  whiles  the  man  i'the  moon  wad  strive 

At  them  to  hae  a  peep, 
He'd  mirkly  glowre,  then  seem  to  dive 

That  moment  to  the  deep  ; 
As  banks  o'  scud  drave  ragged  past, 

And  blashed  upon  his  face, 
F*or  blast  on  blast,  frae  the  southwast. 

Did  ither  raging  chace, 

That  horrid  night. 

And  just  ahint  the  infernal  ha', 

The  hay-stack  gaed  in  blaze, 
The  lightnin  strack  it,  which  set  a' 

The  household  in  amaze. 
And  right  upon  fair  Auchenhoul 

The  wun  the  flames  did  blavv. 
To  sloken't  quick  ran  every  soul. 

And  water  fast  did  jaw 

Frae  kits  that  night. 


YER  YER  499 

But  hoh  anee,  the  waul  ran  dry, 

Nae  mair  lay  near  at  han\ 
The  helpers  a'  gat  in  a  fry, 

And  up  and  down  they  ran. 
Black  Jock  wad  to  a  neebor  farm 

To  get  mair  aid  the  hallop, 
The  Major  he  wad  too  alarm, 

And  aff  the  de'il  did  gallop 

On  naig  that  night. 

Jock  took  the  near  cut  through  the  moss, 

And  darkly  dawdg'd  awa. 
But  faun'  himsell  soon  at  a  loss, 

In  the  ji*refn  quakanqua. 
He  warroch'd  out,  tho  haflins  drown'd, 

Mis  daise  about  him  clashin. 
Then  dawner'd  on  whar  heuchs  abound. 

And  down  dashM  to  damnation 

Owre  ane  that  night 

The  Major,  wi'  the  drink  that  he 

Had  tooted  frae  the  bicker. 
Began  to  swing,  and  noop  and  jee. 

He  cudna  hauf  sit  sicker  ; 
His  cowt  grew  reezy,  its  lang  tail 

*Twad  swash,  and  lugs  wad  birr  up. 
At  length  it  cuist  him,  and  did  trail 

Him  hame,  by  fit  i'e  stirrup, 

'Thout  head,  that  night. 

The  laird  himsell  did  damn  and  curse, 

.And  stupified  a'  roun*. 
Made  an  attempt  to  save  his  purse. 

Containing  ten-score  poun*. 
He  scaled  a  winnock  wi'  great  risk. 
What  reck  or  lowe  cud  stap  him ; 
He  rave  the  siller  firae  the  desk, 
But  now  a  trap  did  snap  him, 

Gye  snell  that  night. 

While  coming  through  the  bore  outback 

A  rafter  down  did  fa\ 
Which  catch'd  a  leg,  then  he  did  rack, 

And  tweest  himsell  and  dra' ; 
But  cudna  freet,  a*  he  cud  rive, 

O  !  shockin  scene  to  tell. 
There  hang  he,  and  was  fry'd  alive. 

E'en  or  he  wan  to  hell 

That  fleysom  night. 

Up  rump  and  stump  did  Auchen  bum, 

The  lairdy  and  his  ha' 
They  into  shunners  black  did  turn, 

I^ng  or  next  day  did  daw  ; 


500  YEU YIR 

lliere  let  them  lie,  a  warning  to 

Thae  haters  o'  the  light  ay, 
Thae  frozen  sinners  here  below 

Wha  fear  na  God  Almighty, 

By  day  nor  night. 

Behold  the  truth,  O  !  infidels, 

It  plainly  lies  afore  ye. 
Disdain  Tam  Paine,  look  at  yersell's, 

A'  natur  dis  implore  ye. 
Bethink,  bethink,  or  ye  may  sink. 

In  that  black  pit,  wide  yawnin  ; 
O  !  why  look  at  it,  lae  its  brink. 

And  let  the  light  come  dawnin 

To  fley  the  night. 

Yeuck — ^The  scab,  the  itch ;  yeucky^  itchy.  "  111  male  him 
claw  whar  he's  noyeucky;^^  a  phrase,  meaning,  "  I'll  strike  him 
with  the  fist,  so  that  he  shall  rub  himself,  though  not 
itchy." 

Yeul — To  howl,  to  complain,  to  whinge. 

YicKiE  Yawkie — A  tool  used  by  shoe-makers. 

YiLL-CAUPS — Cups  to  drink  ale  out  of;  those  girls  with  large 

eyes,  are  said  to  have  "  e'en  like  yill-caups^^  trikU-yill  ale, 

made  from  treacle. 
YiMMET — Apiecey  a  lunch,  several  j/wj  of  food.      ' 
Yin — One.      Yince,  once. 

YiRB-wivES — Old  females,  skilled  in  the  virtues  of  plants  and 
yirbs.  When  a  cow  takes  the  Tailill^  or  is  Elfshoi^  these 
females  are  sent  for  to  cure  them.  The  fact  is,  they  are  a 
species  of  witch  quack-doctor. 

YiRD-FASTS — I^rge  stones  sticking  in  the  yird^  or  earth, 
that  the  plough  cannot  move.  Yird  d  Cassle  maddit^  a 
famous  place  for  the  fox ;  see  the  poem  Auid  Huntsman. 
The  cauld  yird,  the  grave ;  various  emblems  of  our  latter 
end  strike  us.  On  observing  an  auld  tree  a  blawing  down  by 
the  wind — 

Tuir  auld  fellow,  ye  maun  fa\ 
And  lae  thy  ither  comrades  a', 
That  awfu'  gurl  which  now  did  bla', 

Has  whurl'd  ye  owre  ; 
To  liaud  the  grup  with  thy  dazVl  cla', 

Is  past  thy  pow'r. 


YIR YOU  501 

Mony  a  roaring  blast  fu'  wild 

Thou  has't  weather'd  nobly  sin*  a  child, 

And  at  the  wrath  o'  Boreas  smil'd, 

Wi'  trim'lin  glee ; 
Until  his  lordship  sour,  grew  mild. 

But  Oh  !  anee. 

The  upper  han'  at  last  he  has  gat, 
And  reerd  thee  on  thy  bench  m'  flat, 
Nae  mair  will  saucy  pyets  chat, 

Amang  thy  boughs ; 
Whan  Bawdrons,  the  black  gib  cat. 

Sprawls  up,  and  mews. 

Nor  burdies  hap  upon  thee,  trig, 
And  nip  the  green  worm  aff  the  twig. 
Or  sing  or  seek  for  holes  to  big. 

Their  wee-bit  nests  ; 
Whare  they  fu*  coozily  may  lig 

Maist  free  o'  pests. 

And,  o,  I'm  sure  the  craws  will  yum, 
Whan  they  in  April  do  return, 
And  misses  you,  wha  aft  has  borne. 

Their  safest  rookery ; 
Indeed,  there's  few  (but  her)  will  mourn, 

Wha  tents  the  cookery. 

For  a'  wha  hae  thy  glory  seen. 
Whan  thou  baud  on  thy  coat  o'  green. 
And  bumbees  wheeling  through  atween 

Thy  budding  leaves. 
May  weel  lament  for  thee,  I  ween, 

Wi*  bibbling  heaves. 

Thou  art  an  emblem  plain  to  me, 
The  day  will  come  whan  I  maun  be 
Capsized  on  the  yird,  like  thee. 

To  rot  awa ; 
Nae  mair  the  storms  o*  fate  to  dree, 

Which  roun*  me  bla'. 

YiRM — ^To  chirm  like  a  bird.      YirmSy  small-sized  fruit. 

YiRNS  —  Eagles.      These    birds    build    about    the    Cairn' s- 
moors. 

YiRTH — Earth. 

YisK — To  hiccup. 

YoMF — A  blow. 

YouNG-FOWK — People  newly  married;   people  beginning  the 
world  as  it  were,  young  in  the  wars  of  life. 


502  YUL  YUL 

Yule-boys — Boys  who  ramble  the  country  during  the  Christ- 
mas holidays.  They  are  dressed  in  white^  all  but  one  in 
each  gang^  the  Belzebub  of  the  corps.  They  have  a  foolish 
kind  of  a  rhyme  they  go  through  before  people  with,  and  so 
receive  bawbees  and  pieces.  This  rhyme  is  now-a-days  so 
sadly  mutilated,  that  I  can  make  little  of  it  as  to  what  it 
means ;  but  it  evidently  seems  to  have  an  ancient  origin : 
and  in  old  Scottish  books  I  see  some  notice  taken  of 
Quhite  boys  of  Zule,  The  plot  of  the  rhyme  seems  to  be — 
two  knights  dispute  about  a  female,  and  fight ;  the  one  falls, 
and  Belzebub  appears  and  cures  him.  I  may  here  give  a 
sketch  of  something  like  the  scene,  with  the  attending 
rhymes.     Enter  Belzebub^  and  proceeds — 

Here  come  I,  auld  Beelzebub, 

And  over  my  showther  I  carry  a  dub  ; 

And  in  my  hand  a  frying-pan, 

Sae  don't  ye  think  I'm  a  jolly  auld  man. 

Christmas  comes  but  ance  in  the  year. 

And  when  it  comes  it  brings  good  cheer. 

For  here  are  two  just  going  to  fight. 

Whether  1  say  'tis  wrong  or  right. 

My  master  loves  such  merry  fun, 

And  I  the  same  do  never  shun  ; 

Their  yarking  splore  with  the  quarter-stalT, 

I  almost  swear  will  make  me  laugh. 

The  knights  enter  now,  dressed  in  white  robes,  with 
sticks  in  their  hands,  and  so  they  have  a  set-to  at  sparring, 
while  one  of  them  accompanies  the  strokes  of  the  sticks 
with  this  rhyme — 

Strike  then,  strike,  my  boy, 

For  I  will  strike  if  you  are  coy, 

I'm  lately  come  frae  out  the  west, 

Where  I've  made  many  a  spirit  rest ; 

I've  fought  in  my  bloody  wars. 

Beyond  the  sun,  among  the  stars, 

W'ith  restless  ghosts,  and  what  you  know 

Flock  there  when  ere  the  cock  <loth  crow  ; 

I've  elbow'd  thousands  into  hell, 

My  ears  delight  to  hear  them  yell. 

I've  broke  the  backs  of  millions  more 

Upon  that  grim  infernal  shore  ; 

So  strike  if  you're  a  valiant  knight. 

Or  I  shall  knock  ye  down  with  might. 


YUL  YUL  503 

Your  proud  insults  1*11  never  bear, 

To  inches  I'll  your  body  tear  ; 

If  you,  my  love,  can  keep,  can  keep. 

You  first  must  make  me  sleep,  sleep,  sleep. 

The  second  Knight  now  speaks,  and  the  sparring  becomes 
keener : — 

I^sh,  dash — your  staff  to  crash, 
My  fool,  have  you  the  water  brash  ? 
'  If  you  have  not,  I  soon  shall  know, 
I  soon  shall  cause  you  tumble  low  ; 
So  thump  away,  and  I  shall  fling 
Some  blows  on  you,  and  make  ye  ring 
Like  ye  sounding  belly  buts. 
To  start  the  music  of  thy  guts ; 
Or  clinkers  on  thy  hairy  scull. 
To  fell  thee  like  a  homed  bull. 
Keel  away,  who  first  shall  fall 
Must  pardon  from  the  other  call ; 
Tho*  you  have  fought  beyond  the  sun, 
I  find  we'll  have  some  goodly  fun  ; 
For  I  have  boxed  in  the  E^t, 
To  solar  furnace  toss'd  the  beast. 

First  Knight  falls  and  sings  out — 

A  doctor  !  doctor,  or  I  die — 
"  A  doctor,  doctor,  here  am  I." 

Wounded  Knight  sayeth — 

**  What  can  you  cure  ?  " 

Belzebub  answereth — 

"  All  disorders  to  be  sure, 

**  The  gravel  and  the  gout, 

"  The  rotting  of  the  snout ; 

'*  If  the  devil  be  in  you, 

"  I  can  blow  him  out 

"  Cut  off  legs  and  arms, 

**  Join  them  too  again 

**  By  the  virtue  ofmy  club, 

'*  Up  Jack,  and  fight  amain,"  &c.  &c 

Thus  a  fellow  is  struck  out  olfive  senses  inio  fifteett. 

To  conclude  the  whole  matter  then,  I  console  myself 
by  singing  this  little  song : — The  Book  personified  in  my 
Love, 

The  wuntry  sun's  gane  down  my  love. 

And  cauld  lies  the  sna  ; 
But  the  spring  may  soon  come  roun'  my  love, 

And  thow  it  a'  awa ; 


/ 


492  WUL  WUL 

and   became  a   lieutenant  in   the  infantry  ;  respecting  his 
horsemanship,   he  was   one   of   the  very   best   at  it,  not- 
withstanding  his   corpulency.      Once  when  he  was  riding 
to  the  Dumfries  rood  fair,  on  a  small   horse    he   had  of 
a  white    colour,   called    Crap^   he  came   up  with    two  of 
the  sons  of  Erin  on  the  road  walking  on  foot,   and,  says 
the  one  to  the  other,  while  he  was  passing  them,  "  Is  not 
that,  Bantey^  a  damned  fine  horse  ? "     **  It  is,   honey  (re- 
plied his  comrade),  but  soul,  it  has  its  load  too,  I  think" 
With  that  horse  he  would  ride  up  and  down  precipices  at 
fox    hunts    and    other    occasions,   which    frightened  good 
climbers  on  foot  to  attempt,  for  he  had  very  little  fear  al- 
ways about  him,  and  was  fond  of  hunting,  both  on  horse  and 
foot ;  and  fonder  of  a  badger  or  pole-cat  hunt  than  of  any 
other.     He  never  was  a  good  shot,  but  he  alii-ays  did  shwt^ 
whether   the  game   was   in  reach  or  not ;  for,   as  he  said 
himself,    "WTio   knows  where   a  blister  may  light?"     To 
shoot  young  crows  he  delighted  in,  particularly  when  he 
had  a  party  of  people  with  him  who  had  not   shot  many 
guns  before,  then  what  fun  he  had  with  their  blunders  ;  his 
raillery  surpassed  any  thing  for  mirth,  and  yet  was  never 
ill  taken  by  those  whom  it  was  pointed  at.     And  a  party 
always   attended   him   of  various  orders,  such    as   Nailers 
and  half-bred  Lawyers — for   he  generally  carried  with  him 
a  flask  of  good  spirits,  and  plenty  of  cash   to   buy  more 
when  it  began  to  be  ebbed ;  he  was  a  great  friend  to  the 
spirit   dealers,  and    would   sometimes  adorn  the  shoulders 
of  their  wives  with  shawls,  and  their  bodies  with  gowTis, 
and  for  no  adulterous  motive  ;  for  this  crime,  or  for  that  of 
debauching    young    women,    he   never   was    blamed.     His 
charity  was   of  the  most  extensive  nature  ;  he   gave — God 
knows  what  he  gave  away  for  this  purpose,  it  was  so  much. 
Some  of  those  poor  people  he  gave  to  thanked  him,  others 
not,    as    the    charitable    ever    find.     An  old   woman  once 


WUL WUL  493 

rejected  a  sheep's  head  and  feet  he  sent  her,  saying,  "  What 
use  were  sic  things  to  her,  unless  they  were  sung;  had 
Willie  sent  me  sax  pence  to  fill  ray  cutty  wi'  tobacco,  I  wad 
hae  thanked  him  in  a  different  way."  It  was  past  his  power 
to  behold  any  being  in  distress  and  not  try  to  ameliorate  it. 
In  short,  he  run  his  virtues  into  vices,  by  going  to  extremes, 
but  he  always  said — "  he  could  not  help  it,"  which  was  true, 
for  he  could  not  ^^  <nvre  himself'  as  is  said  when  man  wants 
self-control. 

It  is  needless,  however,  to  speak  of  his  great  talents 
or  his  great  errors  farther;  those  who  knew  him  best, 
knew  well,  that  for  his  abilities  they  cannot  be  praised 
too  much,  and  his  vices  enough  execrated.  Were  I  as 
he  was,  in  some  things  I  have  noticed  in  the  course  of 
this  sketch,  I  might  consider  myself  very  clever  indeed; 
but  in  other  things,  I  hope  God  may  keep  me  clear  of 
them.  Let  his  errors  sink  to  oblivion  though,  and  his 
excellent  feelings  remain  amongst  us  while  a  Gallovidian 
exists. 

A  friend  of  his,  on  hearing  of  his  death,  allowed  his  soul 
to  break  forth  in  these  verses  : — 


Poor  Willie  Gracie,  what  is  this  of  thee  ? 

Art  thou  gone  down  to  doze  within  the  grave, 
Art  thou  forsaken  every  merry  spree, 

Has  Death,  the  Tyrant,  got  thee  made  a  slave  ? 
O  !  but  he  is  a  base,  a  bloody  knave, 

To  coop  thee  up  in  a  cold  gloomy  urn  ! 
But  vain  it  is  for  me  at  him  to  rave, 

For  all  my  sayings  he  will  only  spurn. 

And  laughing  shout,  '*  thou  never  shalt  return." 

But  can  he  hinder  me  for  thee  to  weep  ? 

And  stem  the  tears  that  down  my  cheeks  do  flow  ; 
Nay,  not  unless  he  lavs  me  down  to  sleep. 

Like  thee,  poor  Willie,  in  the  dust  below. 
For  while  I  live  and  wander  to  and  fro 

On  this  strange,  mystic,  silent  rolling  ball, 
My  heart  for  thee  will  often  beat  in  woe. 

And  mourn  and  bleed  about  thy  early  fall  ; 

For  such  a  man  again,  I  ne'er  shall  hnd  at  all. 


494  WUL  WUR 

I  have  matter  to  fill  many  a  sheet  in  the  way  I  have  done 
about  him,  but  prudence  makes  me  end  here  with  an  Epitaph, 
some  one  or  other  composed  on  him. — 

EPITAPH. 

Here,  in  his  cold  urn 
Lies  the  King  of  the  MUlhum  ; 
Death  hath  this  monarch  humbled. 
And  in  this  grave  his  body  tumbled. 
He  was  made  up  of  good  and  ill. 
Yet  he  was  warmly  loved  still  ; 
His  heart  was  ever  just  and  kind. 
Big  was  the  man,  and  big  his  mind  ; 
The  sun  hath  seldom  set  his  face  on 
Such  a  lad  as  William  Grayson. 

Wullie-Wagtatl — The  water-wagtail  bird. 

WuLLSHOCH — A  timid  courtier ;  "  A  faint  heart  never  gains 

a  fair  lady ;   "    "  None  but  the  brave  deserves    the   fair." 

"  Mori  pro  patria  est  dulce  " — "  To  die  for  one's  country  is 

sweet,"  but  to  die  for  one's  love  is  sweeter.      WuHymrt  and 

WuUshoch  are  one. 

WuRGiLL — This  and  Wurling  are  one  to  the  meaning ;  both 
signify  a  person  of  narrow  mind,  given  to  this  world's 
care. 

WuRRicow — A  hobgoblin  of  rather  an  infernal  order  ;  cow  is  a 
kind  of  de'il^  but  worri-coyf  is  a  worrying  de'il ;  probably 
some  may  wish  to  hear — 

THE  WAILINGS  O'  THE  WORRICOW. 

Whan  the  sun-light  out  o'  Killhow  had  gane, 
Ane  worricow  sat  on  the  auld  grey  stane  ; 
It  seem'd  to  fin'  a  nedeum,  for  loud  it  did  grane. 
And  gaunted  out  Hech-how-hum. 

The  neb  o't  was  clouped,  and  sharp  were  its  claws. 
And'  they  chirket  on  ither  its  lang  thin  jaws  ; 
And  ay  now  and  than  for  some,  because 
It  sang  dolefu'  Hech-how-hum. 

"  Weel  may  I,  ay,  may  I,  sae  may  I  mourn," 
Quoth  it,  **  for  my  guid  friens  o'  Bogle  Bum, 
"I'the  Buss  o'  Biel  now  they  dinna  sojourn, 
* '  Billielu-ya- Hech-how-hum. " 


WUR WYT  495 

**  Where  the  hule  was  invented,  this  light  o'  lair, 
**  Whilk  now  to  see  shining,  makes  me  ay  sair, 
**  It  has  frighten'd  my  cronies  awa  for  ever  mair, 
**  Yalloch  hu  ye,  Hech-how-hum. 

'*  Tt*s  needless  for  me  now  to  yoke  to  and  croon 
"  Aneath  the  weak  beams  o'  a  gibbous  moon  ; 
**  For  the  being  scared  a'  men  hae  got  aboon, 
•*Taho-a-hu-ya,  Hech-how-hum. 

**  And  as  for  my  mighty  master,  the  De'il, 
**  They  look  on  him  just  like  a  common  cheel  ; 
**  For  the  power  o'  his  glaumer  they  never  feel, 
**  O  !  hum,  O  !  yao,  Hech-how-hum. 

**  Through  a*  kirk-yards  now  the  folk  can  gang, 
**  At  the  mirkiest  hour,  and  sing  a  bit  sang, 
**  They  never  trimmle,  or  fins  ought  wrang, 
**  Holyaala,  Hech-how-hum. 

**  Your  BoTiortree  JRott  and  the  Co^  o^  Kirclaugh^ 

**  The  Bullister  Glett,  and  the  Bucky  Haugh, 

*'  Men  now  cares  na  for,  they  can  gang  in  them  and  laugh, 

**  Bummle-whara,  Hech-how-hum. 

**  Curse  on  the  dominies  and  colleges  a', 

**  For  they  hin'er  us  to  carry  on  weel  now  ava  ; 

**  May  knowledge  some  night  again  smoor  i*  the  sna', 

**  WuUin-a-u-ya,  Hech-how-hum." 

WuTCH-scoRE — Anciently,  witches  were  scored  or  cut  above  the 
eyes,  to  prevent  their  cantrips  taking  eflfect  The  method 
they  took  to  prove  females  having  witchcraft  was,  by  throw- 
ing them  into  a  deep  pool  of  water;  if  they  sank  they  were  no 
witches,  but  if  they  swim'd,  they  were,  and  so  were  taken  out, 
and  brunt  accordingly. 

Wyle — To  entice,  to  coax  ;  also  a  rope-twister. 

WvTE — Blame.  Lindsay  of  Pitscottie,  our  worthy  and  honest 
Scottish  historian,  sayeth,  that  fornication  was  to  wyte^ 
for  the  Scotch  losing  the  battle  of  Flodden ;  and  St,  yohn, 
of  Linlithgow,  sayeth,  that  vielling  with  women  before  a 
battle  is  what  is  not  right.  Our  soldiers  too  had  nigh 
tint  the  battle  of  Waterloo  by  melling  at  mouth-thankless 
the  eve  before  it ;  many  an  officer  there  was  buried  in 
his  dancing  pumps  after  that  bluidy  bout ;  and  many  have 


496  YAB  YEL 

as  much  cause  lo  be  ivyted  for  behaviour  in  that  afl&ay, 
as  ever  King  Jamie  and  Mrs,  Foord  had  for  theirs— ^-^ifcr>i, 
verbum  sat 


Y. 


Yabbock — A  chattering,  talkative  person;  2i  gabbock^  sometinies 
this  is  pronounced  abbock.  It  is  nearly  the  same  with  yackus, 
a  person  ytho  yacks^  who  talks  thick;  who  ratherly  mauntSj  yet 
is  fond  oi  catting. 

Yallow-wymed  ask — A  kind  of  lizard,  with  yellow  belly  and 
black  back,  seen  in  suspicious  places,  and  is  supposed  to  have 
poison  about  some  of  its  hinner-liths. 

Yallow-yorlings — The  birds  yellow-hammers,  sometimes 
termed  yoits.  These  birds,  like  the  stane-chackers^  are  dis- 
liked in  the  country. 

Yammer — To  whine,  to  fret. 

Y ANKER — The  same  with  Spanker,  a  till,  clever  girl. 

Yark — A  blow.      Yarking-on,  lashing  away,  as  on  horseback. 

Yaud — An  old  mare.      Yauds,  jaded  horses. 

Yawp — The  crj^  of  a  sickly  bird  ;  or  one  in  distress. 

Yell — Barren  ;  a  rock  is  said  to  be  yell  when  it  will  not  quarry 
but  with  gunpowder  ;  a  field  is  said  to  be  yell  when  nothing 
will  grow  on  it ;  a  cow  is  yell  when  she  gives  no  milk, 
and  so  on. 

Yelu)ch — A  loud  yell.  Yclloching,  yelling  loudly.  Some 
Scottish  writer  saj-s,  that  "Jonah  jr/A?r//<r^  three  days  through 
the  City  of  Niniveh,  after  the  whaul  spewed  him  out  o'  her 
w>Tne." 

Yellpkrs — Dogs  wliich  barked  or  yelpt  for  some  time 
through  Galloway.     They  belonged  to  a  huntsman  of  the 


YEL  YER  497 

name  of  Maxwell,  who  was  drowned  in  Fleet  The  people 
attached  some  superstition  to  these  tykes,  A  verse  of  a  song 
on  the  subject  ran  thu! 


''The  night  was  dark,  the  water  stark, 

**  And  nane  to  help  the  man, 
**  Sae  death  accost,  and  sae  was  lost 

"Brave  Maxwell  o*  SfrawAan.^* 

Yerl  o'  Hell — The  Zaird  d  Slagarie ;  one  of  the  wildest 
wretches  ever  known  in  the  world,  He  and  his  sons  neither 
dreaded  hell  nor  the  Devil;  they  were  in  the  poet's  eye  when 
he  wrote  this  strange  poem — 

THE  BURNING  O*  THE  BIBLE. 

For  a*  Auld  Scotlan*s  weel  ken*d  lair. 

And  bulks  in  volumes  mony. 
Far  a*  her  lads  and  lasses  fair. 

Sweet,  sensible,  and  bonny  ; 
Sad  sights  by  orra  times  arise. 

Oh  !  shudderin  to  the  soul. 
As  that  whilk  did  us  a  surprise 

Last  year  at  Auchenhoul 

Ae  wild  dark  night 

There  won'd  ane  hallion  o'  a  laird 

As  mony  a  ane  has  seen, 
\Vha  lo'ed  to  shave  a  tenant's  beanl 

Till  tears  stood  in  the  e'en  ; 
He  was  a  bachelor,  and  did  hate 

To  see  a  woman  body, 
And  puir  fowk  durst  na  gang  the  gate 

O*  that  deMl's-scurr,  I^ird  Wuddie, 

To  bide  a*  night. 

He  was  dislikeil  far  and  near, 

Nane  cared  for  him  but  twa  ; 
Twa  no  unlike  the  savage  bear, 

Black  yock  and  Major  Gaw. 
The  threesome  fear*d  na  heaven  nor  hell, 

But  damn'd  and  drunk  and  swore. 
They  aften  gaed  to  the  Blue  Bell^ 

And  ilk  ane  waled  his  whore, 

To  pass  the  night. 

Infernal  men,  to  be  allow 'd 

To  live  upon  the  earth  ; 
Yet  it  is  right  that  whiles  there  should 

Big  rascals  here  hae  birth. 

2  I 


498  YER YER 

Sae  then  we  even  free  precept,  see, 
The  right  road  free  tne  wrang, 

And  shun  the  pain  nae  sanl  can  dree. 
The  conscience  that  dis  stang. 

By  day  and  night. 

Weel,  at  the  laird's  o'  Auchenhoul 

Our  wicked  three  did  meet, 
As  aft  they  had,  and  outc  the  bowl 

Their  wild  lewd  tales  repeat. 
And  ane  o'  them,  the  laird  himsell. 

The  brocket  scoolin  skyble. 
Which  ay  did  rather  bear  the  bell. 

Proposed  to  htm  the  Bible 

Aff  han'  that  night. 

They  a'  agreed,  the  buik's  brought  forth. 

And  damned  a  foolish  thing. 
Containing  neither  sense  nor  worth. 

Than  intae  flames  they  fling. 
The  word  o'  gude,  our  glorious  light. 

And  trusty  guide  for  ever, 
Then  swore  an  aith  wi'  a'  their  might, 

**  To  perish  vile  deceiver  " 

Henceforth  that  night. 

Natur  was  mad,  her  thunner  cluds 

RowM  blackly,  and  did  battle. 
The  wun  blew  heels,  owre  head  and  wnds. 

The  dawdin  hail  did  brattle. 
And  cross  the  lift,  the  lightning  swift. 

In  forked  wrath  did  flee. 
The  white  faem  frae  the  waves  did  drift. 

As  glad  to  lae  the  sea. 

That  awfii'  night. 

And  whiles  the  man  i'the  moon  wad  strive 

At  them  to  hae  a  peep. 
He'd  mirkly  gloi*Te,  then  seem  to  dive 

That  moment  to  the  deep  ; 
As  banks  o'  scud  drave  ragged  past, 

And  blashed  upon  his  face. 
For  blast  on  blast,  frae  the  southwast. 

Did  ither  raging  chace. 

That  horrid  night. 

And  just  ahint  the  infernal  ha'. 

The  hay-stack  gaed  in  blaze. 
The  lightnin  strack  it,  which  set  a' 

The  household  in  amaze. 
And  right  upon  fair  Auchenhoul 

The  wun  the  flames  did  blaw, 
To  sloken't  quick  ran  every  soul, 

And  water  fast  did  jaw 

Frae  kits  that  night. 


YER  YER  499 

But  hoh  anee,  the  waul  ran  dry, 

Nae  mair  lay  near  at  han', 
The  helpers  a'  gat  in  a  fiy, 

And  up  and  down  they  ran. 
Black  Jock  wad  to  a  neebor  farm 

To  get  mair  aid  the  hallop, 
The  Major  he  wad  too  alarm, 

And  iff  the  de'il  did  gallop 

On  naig  that  night. 

Jock  took  the  near  cut  through  the  moss, 

And  darkly  dawdg'd  awa, 
But  faun'  himsell  soon  at  a  loss, 

In  the  ^trfft  quakanqua. 
He  warroch*d  out,  tho*  haflins  drown'd. 

His  claise  about  him  clashin, 
Then  dawner'd  on  whar  heuchs  abound, 

And  down  dash'd  to  damnation 

Owre  ane  that  night. 

The  Major,  wi*  the  drink  that  he 

Had  tooted  frae  the  bicker. 
Began  to  swing,  and  noop  and  jee. 

He  cudna  hauf  sit  sicker  ; 
His  cowt  grew  reezy,  its  lang  tail 

*Twad  SMrash,  and  lugs  wad  birr  up. 
At  length  it  cuist  him,  and  did  trail 

Him  hame,  by  fit  i'e  stirrup, 

'Thout  headt  that  night. 

The  laird  himsell  did  damn  and  curse, 

•And  stupified  a'  roun'. 
Made  an  attempt  to  save  his  purse, 

Containing  ten-score  poun\ 
He  scaled  a  winnock  wi'  great  risk, 
What  reek  or  lowe  cud  stap  him ; 
He  rave  the  siller  frae  the  desk, 
But  now  a  trap  did  snap  him, 

Gye  snell  that  night. 

While  coming  through  the  bore  outback 

A  rafter  down  did  fa'. 
Which  catch'd  a  leg,  then  he  did  rack. 

And  tweest  himsell  and  dra' ; 
But  cudna  freet,  a'  he  cud  rive, 

O  !  shockin  scene  to  tell, 
There  hang  he,  and  was  fry'd  alive, 

E'en  or  he  wan  to  hell 

That  fleysom  night. 

Up  rump  and  stump  did  Auchen  bum, 

The  lairdy  and  his  ha' 
They  into  shunners  black  did  turn, 

Lang  or  next  day  did  daw  ; 


500  YEU  YIR 

There  let  them  lie,  a  wmnniiig  to 

Thae  haters  o'  the  light  ay, 
Thae  frozen  sinners  here  below 

^Vha  fear  na  God  Almighty, 

By  day  nor  night. 

Behold  the  truth,  O  !  infidels. 

It  plainly  lies  afore  ye. 
Disdain  Tarn  PatMe,  look  at  yersell's, 

A*  natur  dis  implore  ye. 
Bethink,  bethink,  or  ye  may  sink. 

In  that  black  pit,  wide  yawnin  ; 
O  !  why  look  at  it,  lae  its  brink, 

And  let  the  light  come  dawnin 

To  fley  the  night. 

Yeuck — The  scab,  the  itch;  yeucky^  itchy.  "I'll  mak  him 
claw  whar  he's  noyeucky;^'  a  phrase,  meaning,  "  I'll  strike  him 
with  the  fist,  so  that  he  shall  rub  himself,  though  not 
itchy." 

Ykul — To  howl,  to  complain,  to  whinge. 

YicKiE  Yawkie — A  tool  used  by  shoe-makers. 

YiLL-CAUPS — Cups  to  drink  ale  out  of;  those  girls  with  large 
eyes,  are  said  to  have  "  e'en  like  yiU-caups^  trikU-yill  ale, 
made  from  treacle. 

YiMMET — \piecey  a  limch,  several  j/wj  of  food.      * 

Yin — One.      Yince,  once. 

YiRB-wivES — Old  females,  skilled  in  the  virtues  of  plants  and 
yirbs.  When  a  cow  takes  the  Taiiiil,  or  is  Elfshoi,  these 
females  are  sent  for  to  cure  them.  The  fact  is,  they  are  a 
species  of  witch  quack-doctor, 

YiRD-FASi'S — I^rge  stones  sticking  in  the  yird^  or  earth, 
that  the  plough  cannot  move.  Yird  d  Cassle  maddie^  a 
famous  place  for  the  fox;  see  the  poem  Auld  Huntsman, 
The  cauld  yirdj  the  grave ;  various  emblems  of  our  latter 
end  strike  us.  On  observing  an  auid  tree  a  blawing  down  by 
the  wind — 

Tuir  auld  fellow,  ye  maun  fa', 
And  lae  thv  ither  comrades  a', 
That  awfu  gurl  which  now  did  bla*, 

Has  whurl'd  ye  owre  ; 
To  haud  the  grup  with  thy  daz'd  cla*. 

Is  past  thy  pow'r. 


YIR  YOU  501 

Mony  a  roaring  blast  fu'  wild 

Thou  has't  weather*d  nobly  sin*  a  child, 

And  at  the  wrath  o'  Boreas  smil'd, 

Wi*  trim'lin  glee ; 
Until  his  lordship  sour,  grew  mild. 

But  Oh  !  anee. 

The  upper  han'  at  last  he  has  pat, 
And  reel'd  thee  on  thy  bench  ni'  flat, 
Nae  mair  will  saucy  pyets  chat, 

Amang  thy  boughs ; 
Whan  Bawdrons,  the  black  gib  cat. 

Sprawls  up,  and  mews. 

Nor  burdies  hap  upon  thee,  trig. 
And  nip  the  green  worm  aflf  the  twig, 
Or  sing  or  seek  for  holes  to  big, 

Their  wee-bit  nests  ; 
Whare  they  fu*  coozily  may  lig 

Maist  free  o'  pests. 

And,  o,  I'm  sure  the  craws  will  yum. 
Whan  they  in  April  do  return, 
And  misses  you,  wha  aft  has  borne. 

Their  safest  rookery ; 
Indeed,  there's  few  (but  her)  will  mourn, 

Wha  tents  the  cookery. 

For  a*  wha  hae  thy  glory  seen. 
Whan  thou  baud  on  thy  coat  o'  green. 
And  bumbees  wheeling  through  atween 

Thy  budding  leaves. 
May  weel  lament  for  thee,  I  ween, 

Wi'  bibbling  heaves. 

Thou  art  an  emblem  plain  to  me. 
The  day  will  come  whan  I  maun  be 
Capsized  on  the  yird,  like  thee. 

To  rot  awa ; 
Nae  mair  the  storms  o'  fate  to  dree. 

Which  roun'  me  bla'. 

YiRM — ^To  chirm  like  a  bird.      YirmSy  small-sized  fruit. 

YiRNS  —  Eagles.      These    birds    build    about    the    Cairn's- 
nwors, 

YiRTH:— Earth. 

YisK — To  hiccup. 

YoMF — A  blow. 

YouNG-FOWK — People  newly  married ;   people  beginning  the 
world  as  it  were,  young  in  the  wars  of  life. 


502  YUL  YUL 

Yule-boys — Boys  who  ramble  the  country  during  the  Christ- 
mas holidays.  They  are  dressed  in  white^  all  but  one  in 
each  gang^  the  Belzebub  of  the  corps.  They  have  a  foolish 
kind  of  a  rhyme  they  go  through  before  people  with,  and  so 
receive  bawbees  and  pieces.  This  rhyme  is  now-a-days  so 
sadly  mutilated,  that  I  can  make  little  of  it  as  to  what  it 
means;  but  it  evidently  seems  to  have  an  ancient  origin: 
and  in  old  Scottish  books  I  see  some  notice  taken  of 
Quhite  boys  of  Zule.  The  plot  of  the  rhyme  seems  to  be — 
two  knights  dispute  about  a  female,  and  fight ;  the  one  falls, 
and  Belzebub  appears  and  cures  him.  I  may  here  give  a 
sketch  of  something  like  the  scene,  with  the  attending 
rhymes.     Enter  Belzebub^  and  proceeds — 

Here  come  I,  auld  Beelzebub, 

And  over  my  showther  I  carry  a  dub  ; 

And  in  my  hand  a  frying-pan, 

Sae  don't  ye  think  I'm  a  jolly  auld  man. 

Christmas  comes  but  ance  in  the  year, 

And  when  it  comes  it  brings  good  cheer. 

For  here  are  two  just  going  to  fight. 

Whether  I  say  'tis  wrong  or  right. 

My  master  loves  such  merry  fun. 

And  I  the  same  do  never  shun ; 

Their  yarking  splore  with  the  quarter-staff, 

I  almost  swear  will  make  me  laugh. 

The  knights  enter  now,  dressed  in  white  robes,  w\\h 
sticks  in  their  hands,  and  so  they  have  a  set-to  at  sparring, 
while  one  of  them  accompanies  the  strokes  of  the  sticks 
with  this  rhyme — 

Strike  then,  strike,  my  boy. 
For  I  will  strike  if  you  are  coy, 
I'm  lately  come  frae  out  the  west. 
Where  1  ve  made  many  a  spirit  rest ; 
I've  fought  in  my  bloody  wars. 
Beyond  the  sun,  among  the  stars. 
With  restless  ghosts,  and  what  you  know 
Flock  there  when  ere  the  cock  doth  crow  ; 
I've  elbow'd  thousands  into  hell. 
My  ears  delight  to  hear  them  yell. 
I've  broke  the  backs  of  millions  more 
Upon  that  grim  infernal  shore  ; 
So  strike  if  you're  a  valiant  knight, 
'  Or  I  shall  knock  ye  down  with  might. 


YUL YUL  503 

Your  proud  insults  Til  never  bear, 

To  inches  1*11  your  body  tear  ; 

If  you,  my  love,  can  keep,  can  keep, 

You  first  must  make  me  sleep,  sleep,  sleep. 

The  second  Knight  now  speaks,  and  the  sparring  becomes 

keener : — 

Lash,  dash — your  staff  to  crash, 
My  fool,  have  you  the  water  brash  ? 
'  If  you  have  not,  I  soon  shall  know, 
I  soon  shall  cause  you  tumble  low  ; 
So  thump  away,  and  I  shall  fling 
.    Some  blows  on  you,  and  make  ye  ring 
Like  ye  sounding  belly  buts. 
To  start  the  music  of  thy  guts  ; 
Or  clinkers  on  thy  hairy  scull. 
To  fell  thee  like  a  homed  bull. 
Keel  away,  who  first  shall  fall 
Must  pardon  from  the  other  call ; 
Tho'  you  have  fought  beyond  the  sun, 
I  find  we'll  have  some  goodly  fun  ; 
For  I  have  boxed  in  the  East, 
To  solar  furnace  toss'd  the  beast. 

First  Knight  falls  and  sings  out — 

A  doctor  !  doctor,  or  I  die — 
**  A  doctor,  doctor,  here  am  L" 

Wounded  Knight  sayeth — 

"  What  can  you  cure  ?  " 

Belzebub  answereth — 

**  All  disorders  to  be  sure, 

**  The  gravel  and  the  gout, 

"  The  rotting  of  the  snout ; 

**  If  the  devil  be  in  you, 

**  I  can  blow  him  out 

**  Cut  off  legs  and  arms, 

**  Join  them  too  again 

**  By  the  virtue  ofmy  club^ 

**  Up  Jack,  and  fight  amain,"  &c  &c. 

Thus  a  fellow  is  struck  out  oifive  senses  mto  fifteen. 

To  conclude  the  whole  matter  then,  I  console  myself 

by  singing  this  little  song : — The  Book  personified  in  my 

Love, 

The  wuntry  sun*s  gane  down  my  love. 

And  cauld  lies  the  sna  ; 
But  the  spring  may  soon  come  roun*  my  love, 

And  thow  it  a'  awa ; 


504  YUL  YUL 


And  thow  it  a'  awa,  my  love, 

While  flowers  bloom  oat  sae  fiur  ; 

But  the  blighted  root  will  never  shoot, 
'Twill  never  flourish  mair. 

The  storm  delights  to  roar,  my  love. 

The  &eming  waters  flee  ; 
But  a  calm  may  lull  the  shore,  my  love. 

And  smooth  the  hilly  sea  ; 
And  smooth  the  hilly  sea,  my  love. 

Which  rows  in  anger  sair ; 
But  the  founder'd  ship  will  never  trip 

Alang  its  sur&ce  mair. 

Our  doom  is  flx'd — we  part,  my  love, 

Thy  way  is  fu'  o*  wiles  ; 
But  ay,  keep  up  thy  heart,  mv  love, 

And  meet  the  warl  wi'  smiles  ; 
And  meet  the  warl  wi*  smiles,  my  love, 

Tho'  thunders  round  ye  rair. 
In  darkness  sweet,  we  yet  may  meet. 

And  never  sinder  mair. 

The  sun  he  rules  the  day,  my  love, 

llie  moon  she  rules  the  night. 
But  what  doth  rule  thy  way,  my  love. 

What  |[uideth  thee  aright  ? 
What  guideth  thee  aright,  my  love, 

On  earth  and  sea  and  air? 
Its  Chance,  the  Blinman,  who  can  dance ; 

He's  wi'  thee  ever  mair. 


FINIS. 


] 


,  ,^. 


,-  "'i;'^ 


.<i 


mS 


504  YUL  YUL 


And  thow  it  a'  awa,  xny  love, 

While  flowers  bloom  out  sae  fair  ; 

Rut  the  blighted  root  will  never  shoot, 
*Twill  never  flourish  mair. 

The  storm  delights  to  roar,  my  love, 

The  faeming  waters  flee  ; 
But  a  calm  may  lull  the  shore,  my  love, 

And  smooth  the  hilly  sea  ; 
And  smooth  the  hilly  sea,  my  love. 

Which  rows  in  anger  sair ; 
But  the  founder'd  ship  will  never  trip 

Alang  its  surface  mair. 

Our  doom  is  iix*d — we  part,  my  love, 

Thy  way  is  fii*  o*  wiles  ; 
Bat  ay,  keep  up  thy  heart,  mv  love, 

And  meet  the  warl  wi'  smiles  ; 
And  meet  the  warl  wi'  smiles,  my  love, 

Tho'  thunders  round  ye  rair, 
In  darkness  sweet,  we  yet  may  meet. 

And  never  sinder  mair. 

The  sun  he  rules  the  day,  my  love, 

ITie  moon  she  rules  the  night. 
But  what  doth  rule  thy  way,  my  love, 

Wliat  puideth  thee  aright  ? 
What  guideth  thee  aright,  my  love. 

On  earth  and  sea  and  air  ? 
Its  Chance^  the  B/inman,  who  can  dance ; 

He's  wi'  thee  ever  mair. 


FINIS. 


I 


THB  NBW  YORK  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 

KBFBRBNCB  DBPABTMBNT 
taken  from  tha  B>ildm« 

SEP  1  f   'M- 

•■•J 

__-_ 

'"--